New Zealand’s in-form batter Rachin Ravindra was outfoxed by Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the final match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The left-handed batter was castled after scoring a quick 37 runs off 29 balls by Kuldeep Yadav, who picked up the wicket on his first ball of the match.

New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner opted to bat first after winning the toss in Dubai on Sunday, March 9. Rachin Ravindra gave a flying start to the team by smashing Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya for boundaries. Varun Chakravarthy broke the stand by removing Will Young, who scored 15 off 23 balls.

Watch: Kuldeep Yadav Bamboozles Rachin Ravindra With a Brilliant Delivery

Kuldeep Yadav struck immediately after being introduced in the 11th over. He dismissed Rachin Ravindra with his very first delivery. Ravindra misread the wrong ‘un, and the ball turned sharply and flicked his pad before crashing into the stumps.

The left-hander departed after a quickfire 37 off 29 balls, including four fours and a six. Kuldeep celebrated the crucial breakthrough as India pulled things back after an aggressive powerplay from New Zealand. Ravindra’s dismissal left the Black Caps at 69/2 in 10.1 overs.

Official broadcaster Star took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share the clip of the dismissal with the caption, “CASTLED! | \ | #KuldeepYadav makes the impact straightaway, as #RachinRavindra is cleaned up courtesy a sharp googly! 💪🏻”

You can watch the video of the wicket below:

WHAT A BALL BY KULDEEP. 🤯pic.twitter.com/zFgXsZPGab

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 9, 2025

This Will Change the Game for New Zealand – Ramiz Raja

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja called Rachin Ravindra’s dismissal a game-changing moment. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, Raja said that Kuldeep Yadav bowled the delivery perfectly, leaving Ravindra with no chance against it.

“That is massive. Rachin Ravindra who was batting so well has to go. This will change the game for New Zealand. That was such a good ball, he couldn’t have delivered it on a better line,” Raja said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

New Zealand Lost Three Wickets for 75 Runs Inside 13 Overs

At the time of writing, New Zealand were at 95/3 after 18 overs, with Daryl Mitchell (15 off 31) and Tom Latham (7 off 10) at the crease. Kane Williamson, who scored a half-century in the group-stage match against India, was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav after scoring 11 runs off 14 balls.

Williamson entered the final in good form, having scored a century (102 off 94 balls) against South Africa. He also played a crucial 81-run knock off 120 balls against India in the group stage. However, Williamson couldn’t replicate his previous performances in the final.

India secured their place in the Champions Trophy final by defeating Australia in the semi-final. Meanwhile, New Zealand booked their spot by outplaying South Africa in the second semi-final held in Lahore.

Notably, this is not the first time the two teams have met in a Champions Trophy fina. New Zealand previously defeated India in the 2000 edition to claim their only title in the tournament.

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