While India and New Zealand both have booked their places for the Semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, their Group A meeting on Sunday (March 2) will mostly be a formality fixture, except for securing their final places in the group stage. Team India is likely to face New Zealand under the new captaincy as Rohit Sharma is likely to take a rest for the game.

While Pakistan is hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India are playing all their matches of the tournament at Dubai International Cricket Stadium (Dubai) in the United Arab Emirates. India won both their first two matches by six wickets against Bangladesh and Pakistan. On the other hand, New Zealand started the tournament with a 60-run win against the hosts and defending champions Pakistan and later beat Bangladesh by five wickets. 

On Sunday, India will face New Zealand in Dubai in the last game of Group A as well as the group stage in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Their result will complete the story of who will face which Group B teams in the Semi-finals of the tournament. 

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Rohit Sharma likely to miss against New Zealand; Shubman Gill likely to make ODI captaincy debut

Indian captain Rohit Sharma is likely to take a rest from the last Group A match against New Zealand. So, the vice-captain Shubman Gill, who is in outstanding form with the bat, will take the leadership responsibility of the match. Gill has experienced only five T20I captaincies for the nation during the India tour of Zimbabwe 2024, and India won that series by 4-1.

During India's last game against Pakistan, Indian captain Rohit Sharma had a hamstring injury. While he reportedly hasn't batted in recent net practices, he didn't even participate in the throwdown, and the team management has no plan to take any risk on the skipper before the Semi-final. 

Mohammed Shami likely to take rest

Also, the right-arm fast bowler Mohammed Shami is likely to take a rest against New Zealand. During the match against Pakistan, he seemed uncomfortable in the early overs; however, later he was in better rhythm with the ball in hand. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh is likely to replace Shami.

Meanwhile, the wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is likely to replace the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. So, KL Rahul and Pant both can feature against New Zealand, where Pant can keep the wickets. Rahul is likely to open with the stand-in skipper Gill during their last Group A match.