Big blow for New Zealand as star player doubtful for Champions Trophy 2025 final vs India

New Zealand is facing a major challenge ahead of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final against India, as pacer Matt Henry's participation is in doubt due to a shoulder injury. He picked up the injury during the semi-final match against South Africa, which New Zealand won by 50 runs.

“Matt obviously landed on his shoulder and bit was pretty uncomfortable. I guess the positive thing from our perspective is he got back out there to bowl,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said during a press conference on Friday. 

“We’re going to give him every chance to be playing in this match, so it’s still a little bit unknown at this stage. He’s obviously pretty sore just from landing on the point of his shoulder but yeah, hopefully he will be okay,” he added.

Henry has been a key player in the 2025 Champions Trophy, leading the wicket-taking charts with an impressive 10 wickets across four matches. His standout performance came during the group stage against India on March 2, where he took five wickets for 42 runs. Among his notable dismissals were Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, highlighting his skill and precision on the field. Unfortunately, despite his excellent performance, New Zealand lost that match by 44 runs, with spinner Varun Chakravarthy also taking five wickets (5/42) and stealing the limelight.

In that game, New Zealand was chasing a target of 250 after India set a score of 249/9, largely due to Shreyas Iyer's impressive innings of 79. Even in defeat, Henry's performance was commendable, finishing with figures of 2/43 from seven overs in the semi-final.

As the final draws near, all eyes will be on Henry and his ability to perform under pressure once more. The showdown between India and New Zealand is set to be an exciting match, with both teams eager to secure the prestigious Champions Trophy title.

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