Champions Trophy final: India favourite, but can’t underestimate NZ, says Manoj

Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary believes that the Rohit Sharmaled Indian team is the outright favourite to lift the ICC Champions Trophy but warned that New Zealand cant be underestimated in the grand finale at the Dubai International Stadium on SundayExpressing his confidence in Team India Tiwary added ldquoIndia is the top contender The way they have played in this Champions Trophy shows their dominance But being the favourite also brings added pressure On the other hand New Zealand has nothing to lose so the pressure will be on India Since its an ICC trophy the real challenge for India can come from either Australia or New Zealand The Blackcaps should not be taken lightly Tiwary told IANSTiwary also emphasized the importance of playing cautiously against New Zealandrsquos star spinner Mitchell Santner ldquoIndia should continue playing the way they have been Santner is a key bowler for them The Indian batsmen should play him wisely rather than aggressively as he is a quality spinner who traps batsmen with his skillsrdquoIndia who are unbeaten in the tournament so far are aiming for their third Champions Trophy title while New Zealand are seeking their third having last won the competition in 2013 The Men in Blue have been in sublime form registering four consecutive wins including a fourwicket triumph over Australia in the semifinalsThey topped Group A with wins over Bangladesh Pakistan and New Zealand while the Blackcaps secured victories against Pakistan and Bangladesh before losing to India in their final groupstage clash In the semifinals New Zealand outclassed South Africa by 50 runs to book a rematch with IndiaDespite Indiarsquos recent dominance history favours New Zealand in ICC knockout matches The two sides have met four times in such encounters with the Black Caps holding a 31 edge Their victories came in the 2000 Champions Trophy final the 2019 semifinal and the 2021 World Test Championship final However India managed to break the jinx in the 2023 ODI World Cup semifinalTiwary highlighted the key players who have stood out for India in the tournament ldquoVarun Chakravarthy has been outstanding picking up five wickets in his last two matches including one against New ZealandShreyas Iyer has been impressive while Virat Kohli continues to step up when it matters most If he had stayed a little longer against Australia he could have scored another century Rohit Sharmarsquos intent at the top is commendable and Shubman Gill is in great form KL Rahul performed well in the semis and Hardik Pandya is a crucial asset if he remains fitrdquo he saidThe Dubai pitch has favoured spinners throughout the tournament with the powerplay being the best time to bat when the ball is new Once the ball softens strokemaking becomes increasingly difficult The weather forecast predicts a hot afternoon with temperatures around 32degC adding another challenge for both sidesWith the final set to be a highstakes clash Tiwary remains confident in Indias ability to rise to the occasion ldquoI believe India will lift the trophy They are looking very strong and so far they havenrsquot faced any major hurdles Every player has contributed significantly Itrsquos all about handling pressure on the big dayrdquoThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever