Former cricketer and 2007 T20 World Cup hero Joginder Sharma has expressed confidence that India will triumph over New Zealand in their upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 group-stage clash on Sunday.

India and New Zealand, both unbeaten in the tournament, will face off in a crucial contest at the Dubai International Stadium. With the top spot in Group A at stake, this match will help determine the semi-final permutations. The only previous Champions Trophy meeting between the two sides saw New Zealand emerge victorious.

Speaking ahead of the high-stakes encounter, Joginder Sharma acknowledged New Zealand’s strong form but backed India’s well-rounded squad to deliver.

“New Zealand is playing good cricket recently, and it will be a great match. India is also in excellent form, and we will win. Our bowling is match-winning, and the unit is performing well. Our batters—Shubman, Rohit, Iyer—are all in top form. Virat is a responsible player who thrives under pressure. Plus, we have game-changers like Hardik Pandya who can accelerate the scoring when needed,” Sharma told ANI.

Virat Kohli Set for Landmark 300th ODI Appearance

Sunday’s game will also mark a historic milestone for Virat Kohli, who is set to become just the seventh Indian cricketer to feature in 300 ODIs.

Kohli’s form has been a topic of debate leading up to the Champions Trophy, especially after a tough Test series in Australia. Though he showed glimpses of his best against England, critics were still skeptical. However, after a slow start against Bangladesh, Kohli silenced doubters with a match-winning knock against Pakistan, notching up his 51st ODI century and becoming the fastest batsman to reach 14,000 ODI runs.

Kohli’s ODI Record at a Glance

Matches: 299

Runs: 14,085

Average: 58.20

Strike Rate: 93.41

Centuries: 51

Fifties: 73

Best Score: 193

Kohli has a habit of rewriting record books, being the fastest to 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, 13,000, and now 14,000 ODI runs. With history on his side, all eyes will be on the batting maestro as India takes on New Zealand in a must-watch battle for supremacy.