IND vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025: KL Rahul Not Sure if India Will Change Winning Combination Against New Zealand

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Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul is unsure if India would tinker with the winning combination for the clash against New Zealand on Sunday (March 2) especially in a big tournament like Champions Trophy despite sealing a semifinal spot.

With big wins against Bangladesh and Pakistan in their opening two group matches, Rohit Sharma's side has already secured a spot in the knock-out stage from Group A with a game to go against New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

Rohit is reportedly set to be rested from the match with Shubman Gill set to lead the side. In Rohit's absence Rishabh Pant is the most likely player to come into the side. But, India may also look to rest some of their key players, who recently returned from injuries.

Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav recently returned to fitness, having been sidelined with injury issues. So, the team management may want to manage their load with semi-final not that far away.

Pacer Arshdeep Singh, spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Washington Sundar, who have not yet got a game in this tournament could be considered. Rahul said the management may be tempted to try out benched players, but is not sure if that happens in tournaments like Champions Trophy.

"I'm not in the leadership group to have to make that decision. But I'm sure there will be some temptation. I've been in these positions before where there's an opportunity where you can try out the players who have important games and do get a game. But I don't know if that will happen in a Championship Trophy," Rahul said at the press conference.

"We only have one day's break before the semifinals. And we've got a six-day break now. So we probably want all of the players to play the game and get a little bit of time in the middle. And this is my version. I don't know. It might be very different tomorrow."

Rahul also said a team like New Zealand can never be take lightly. The Black Caps have been a thorn in India's side, having recently defeated India in the three-Test series recently and had also beaten them in the 2021 T20 World Cup.

"It's my first Champions Trophy and what I've realised is things happen really quickly. It's not like the World Cup where even if you don't start well, there's an opportunity for you to come back. But in this tournament, it's just really hard. You need to be really switched on," Rahul added.

"No game is easy or no team can be taken lightly. So, yeah, that's how we've looked at things in New Zealand. They've always been a very formidable team and a very competitive team. We've played against them a lot of times in ICC events and they've ramped up against us. It's been quite even in the contest."