New Delhi: Indian men’s cricket team assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has reacted to the possibility of a changed playing XI for the final group stage fixture of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand on Sunday.
Both India and New Zealand have confirmed their semifinal spots for the Champions Trophy. The two teams will play to determine the Group A winners, which will precisely decide the semifinal opponent.
Will key players be rested for New Zealand match?
The big question is whether India will continue to field their winning combination or rest some of the players for the New Zealand match to keep them match ready for the semifinal. Doeschate said that the team would prioritise to field the best XI but also spoke about not resting them given the New Zealand match is crucial to decide the table standings.
“We’ve had two pretty tough training sessions, so that’s been the preparation. In terms of the bench strength, I think the priority is making sure that we have our best guys available and fully fit for the second game (semifinal),” Doeschate told reporters.
“But we also don’t want to rest them for another two days. So to get that balance right, we might just try to share the bowling out a little bit. But we obviously want to win against New Zealand as well.
“It’s important that we keep that momentum going. And obviously to top the group as well. So the balance of those two things I just mentioned for the selection to be thought about,” he added.
India didn’t tested its bench strength in the matches against Pakistan and Bangladesh. Players such as pacer Arshdeep Singh, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, spin bowlers Varun Chakravarthy and Washington Sundar haven’t played any game in the tournament. It will be interesting to see if the team can give any one of them a game.
Ryan ten Doeschate, assistant coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, addressed the possibility of a changed playing XI for the final group stage match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand. India will aim to top the Group A for the Champions Trophy. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
