India, March 8 -- The odds are heavily stacked against New Zealand. The conditions, the squad strength, the local support-everything is tilted towards India. But does that mean they are pushovers? Is the final a mere formality? Is Rohit Sharma lifting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Sunday inevitable? Not even a fool would think like that. Yes, India is the strongest team on paper, form, and every other cricketing parameter in the tournament. But even they would agree that if there is any side that can not only challenge their supremacy but also snatch the Champions Trophy away from grasp, that is Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand.

One of the most consistent sides across formats in the last decade, New Zealand have not won an ICC white-b...