Rachin Ravindra slams India's 'unfair advantage' in ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Final

Rachin Ravindra was the star of New Zealand’s dominant win over South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal in Lahore, where he smashed a record-breaking century on Wednesday, March 5. With the title clash set to be played in Dubai against India on March 9, Rachin Ravindra couldn’t help but point out the advantage Rohit Sharma and his team hold.

While New Zealand and other participating teams battled through different conditions in Pakistan, India played all their matches in Dubai, giving them a clear edge in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final.

Rachin Ravindra questions India’s advantage in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Final

Ahead of the summit clash on Sunday, the young batting sensation hinted at the unfairness, saying the Black Caps have little idea about what to expect from the Dubai pitch.

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Notably, India and New Zealand have already faced each other in the final group stage match at the same venue, where the ball turned sharply, but Ravindra pointed out that the conditions were different in the semifinal clash between the Men in Blue and Australia on March 4.

With the Champions Trophy 2025 Final just days away, the all-rounder has emphasized the need to adapt to the Dubai conditions quickly to outsmart India. Ravindra made it clear that the Black Caps will not back down despite the Men in Blue’s familiarity with the conditions in Dubai.

We don't quite know what the Dubai pitch is like: Rachin Ravindra

Rachin Ravindra was quoted as saying by Times of India, “We don't quite know what the Dubai pitch is (like). We saw in our (group) game against India the ball turning, but the other day it didn't turn so much. We found ourselves adapting and playing according to situations, which we will need to do on Sunday again. We will see in the next couple of days, and hopefully it's a good cricket wicket.”

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Meanwhile, Ravindra played a crucial role in New Zealand’s commanding 50-run victory over South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal, forming a game-changing and record 164-run partnership with Kane Williamson in Lahore. But he could manage only six runs against India.

Rachin Ravindra hopes to deliver a match-winning performance in the CT 2025 final against India

Now, the young Kiwi star is eager to make an impact after a forgettable group-stage outing against the Indian cricket team. However, Ravindra is aware of the challenges ahead, but he remains focused on delivering a strong performance on the big stage for his team.

Rachin signed off by saying, “You get out pretty much every time you bat. Hopefully, I can bat for a longer period of time (in the final) and continue to play well for my team. Whenever you approach a tournament, you hopefully expect to be among the top four teams, and luckily we have been consistently good over a period of time.

"We are happy with our preparation, coming here early; we can see we are cooking reasonably well. Trust and ability around the group is great.”

Notably, Ravindra has scored five centuries in One Day Internationals (ODIs), and all of them have come in ICC tournaments, and he became the fastest player to achieve this milestone. He hit three centuries in the 2023 World Cup and has added two more in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025.