The Men in Blue led by Rohit Sharma got off to a stunning start to their ICC Champions Trophy campaign, winning both of their opening games in a dominant fashion. They first cruised past Bangladesh with a comfortable 6-wicket victory at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai and followed it up with another six-wicket triumph over arch-nemesis Pakistan at the same venue.

Sachin Tendulkar and Chris Cairns

With four points from two matches, India currently sits proudly at the top of Group A. The upcoming clash against New Zealand holds immense significance. If the Kiwis manage to win on Monday, both India and New Zealand will march into the semifinals, a scenario that would seal the fate of Group A.

But what if Bangladesh pulls off an upset against New Zealand? In that case, the equation becomes more complex. India will then need to beat New Zealand in their final group-stage match to secure a spot in the semifinals. Now, the burning question: Can India still qualify if they lose to New Zealand?

Yes, but only if Pakistan defeats Bangladesh. This would leave India with four points, enough to edge past Bangladesh and enter the semifinals. However, the trickiest situation arises if Bangladesh beats both New Zealand and Pakistan, and India loses to New Zealand. This would leave India, New Zealand and Bangladesh tied at four points each. The team with the best Net Run Rate (NRR) would then move forward to the semifinals, making every run and wicket count even more.

IND vs NZ: Head-to-Head record in ICC Champions Trophy

As the drama unfolds, let’s take a quick look at the head-to-head record between India and New Zealand in the Champions Trophy. Surprisingly, these two cricketing powerhouses have faced off only once in the history of the tournament. Their sole encounter came in the final of the inaugural 1998 edition, then known as the ICC KnockOut Tournament.

It was a gripping contest where India’s opening duo of Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar stitched together a masterful 141-run partnership and that laid a solid foundation. Ganguly scored 117 whereas Sachin scored 69 Yet, New Zealand cricket team had other ideas despite the top-order's average performance.

The Kiwis showcased remarkable resilience in the middle-order, which saw them defy the odds. Powered by a match-winning knock from Chris Cairns (102) and valuable support from Chris Harris (46), the Kiwis clinched a thrilling victory and lifted the trophy, putting a dagger at the hearts of the opposition as they won the game by 4 wickets with two balls to spare.

Team India will lock horns with New Zealand on March 2, Sunday. It remains to be seen which team will come out on top in the much-anticipated battle.

Team India squad

Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-Captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

New Zealand squad

Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young.

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