NEW DELHI: New Zealand opener Will Young remains unfazed by his team’s earlier loss to India in the group stage and is focused on exploiting Rohit Sharma-led India’s vulnerabilities in the upcoming Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday.
Alongside Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, Young has been instrumental in giving New Zealand strong starts throughout the tournament. As the Black Caps prepare for the high-stakes final, the 32-year-old emphasized the importance of learning from their 44-run defeat to India on March 2 at the same venue.
“There’s plenty to take from that match from a scouting perspective, especially for me as a batter. I’m sure our bowlers have also analyzed India’s batters and how they are likely to approach the game,” Young told the ICC.
New Zealand’s Strengths and Past Battles with India
With Rachin Ravindra in stellar form, having struck centuries against South Africa in the semifinal and Bangladesh in the group stage, New Zealand has demonstrated its batting depth.
Reflecting on past encounters with India, Young acknowledged the competitive history between the two teams, including New Zealand’s triumph in the 2021 World Test Championship final and their loss in the 2023 World Cup semifinal. However, he believes that the team performing best on the day will emerge victorious.
“We’ve had some great battles with India in recent years. But at the end of the day, it’s about who steps up in the final. We have to adjust and adapt to whatever challenges come our way on Sunday,” he added.
Drawing Inspiration from New Zealand’s 2000 Champions Trophy Win
Young also highlighted the inspiration drawn from New Zealand’s historic Champions Trophy victory in 2000, where they defeated India by four wickets in Nairobi. He was just eight years old at the time but vividly remembers the legendary squad that claimed the country’s first major ICC title.
“There were some iconic names in that squad—players we grew up admiring. It’s cool to be in a position to try and achieve the same thing 25 years later,” he said.
Before departing for the tournament, the current squad had an interaction with former cricketer Scott Styris, a member of the 2000-winning team, who shared stories from that campaign.
“It was great to recognize the past and understand that New Zealand has done this before. Now, it’s about passing the baton forward, and hopefully, we can replicate that success in a couple of days,” Young concluded.
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