Matt Henry's powerplay dominance: 10 wickets in 48 overs vs India, strikes early in Champions Trophy clash

Dubai [UAE], March 2 : New Zealand pacer Matt Henry once again proved to be India's nemesis in the powerplay, delivering a crucial spell in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy clash. Henry, who has been a consistent threat with the new ball against India in ODIs, added two more prized scalps to his tally on Sunday, dismissing the in-form Shubman Gill and the stalwart Virat Kohli.
Henry's impressive record against India in the powerplay now stands at 10 wickets in 48 overs, an average of 20.20, strike rate of 28.8, and an economy of 4.20 which highlights his effectiveness against the Men in Blue.
The Kiwi pacer made an immediate impact, removing Gill for just 2 runs. The young opener, who has been in stellar form, fell early, giving New Zealand the upper hand. Henry then dealt a major blow by dismissing Kohli, who looked in fine touch. Glenn Phillips' acrobatic catch at point sealed the dismissal, sending the Indian talisman back to the pavilion.
Earlier, New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bowl first in their last group stage match against India at the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
The result of the fixture will also decide the teams that will face off in the semi-finals, with South Africa and Australia having finished as the top-two sides in Group B.
New Zealand kicked off their campaign with a win against hosts Pakistan and then defeated Bangladesh to secure qualification for the next round.
Pipped among the favourites to go all the way, India is also in red-hot form, having emerged victorious against Bangladesh and Pakistan.
At the end of 20 overs, India is struggling at 78/3, with Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel showing resilience at the crease. The duo has stitched together a 49-run partnership, steadying the innings after the early setbacks. As the match progresses, India will be looking to rebuild and post a competitive total against a disciplined New Zealand attack.
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.
New Zealand (Playing XI): Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O'Rourke.