“Dasgupta Backs Shami, Hopes Rohit Scores Century in Final”

As India gears up to face New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday, former cricketer Deep Dasgupta has expressed his confidence in two key players—captain Rohit Sharma and pacer Mohammed Shami. Despite Rohit’s recent struggles, Dasgupta remains optimistic about the Indian skipper delivering a match-winning performance.

“Rohit is known for his double hundreds. His playing style has evolved, and so has the team’s approach. We hope he scores 130 or 140 instead of 30-40. It’s crucial for him to continue his current form,” Dasgupta told ANI. He also heaped praise on Shami, stating, “Just look at his record. Nobody has a better ODI record than him. He’s very good—leave him as he is.”

India has been dominant in the tournament, remaining undefeated so far. Meanwhile, New Zealand, under Mitchell Santner’s leadership, has showcased resilience with both bat and ball. The final promises to be a thrilling rematch of the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy final, which New Zealand won. India will be eager to avenge their losses to the Blackcaps in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal and the 2021 ICC World Test Championship final.

In their recent encounter, India defeated New Zealand by 44 runs, posting 249 runs and restricting the Kiwis to 205. While spinners have been in the spotlight in the UAE, Matt Henry stood out for New Zealand, taking 5/42. Shreyas Iyer top-scored for India with 79 runs, while Kane Williamson fought hard with 81 but lacked middle-order support. India’s spinners, led by Varun Chakaravarthy, combined for nine wickets, with Chakaravarthy taking 5/42 in just his second ODI.

Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham (w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke, Daryl Mitchell, Nathan Smith, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy.

With both teams in top form, the final is set to be a nail-biting contest, with fans eagerly awaiting a Rohit Sharma century and Shami’s fiery spells.