The Champions Trophy 2025 final is here, with the top two teams ¡ª India and New Zealand ¡ª set to face off. While the Men in Blue aim for a record third title, the Kiwis are chasing their second, their last win dating back to 2000.
?Though unlikely, a tie can't be ruled out ¡ª a painful reminder for New Zealand, who lost the 2019 World Cup final despite a tied match. But what happens if the Champions Trophy final ends in a tie? Even worse, what if rain plays spoilsport? Here are all the possible scenarios explained.
In a highly unlikely event, if the final between India and New Zealand ends in a tie, a Super Over will be played to determine the winner. However, if the Super Over also ends in a tie, the Super Overs will be kept playing till a clear winner does not emerge.
This rule was brought so as to avoid a repeat of the controversial 2019 World Cup final, where New Zealand lost to England on boundary count despite both the match and the Super Over ending in a tie.
In the Champions Trophy 2025, fans saw three games be washed out due to rain. However, the waterworks has mostly stayed away from Dubai, where India's games have taken place. Now with the final set for the Dubai International Stadium, it is also unlikely to be affected by rain.
However, if a washout does occur, both India and New Zealand will share the trophy ¡ª a scenario seen before in the 2002 Champions Trophy final.
The 2002 final remains one of the most controversial ICC title matches as at the time, India and Sri Lanka were declared joint winners after rain halted play, despite over 110 overs being bowled across two days. The game was restarted from the start on the second day but still couldn't reach a conclusion due to rain.
For the final set to be played on Sunday, India head in as strong favorites, riding a seven-match winning streak in ODIs, including a victory over New Zealand in their Group A clash.
However, the Black Caps showcased their batting prowess in the semi-final against South Africa. Their key challenge will be tackling India's spin attack, especially mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who claimed a five-wicket haul the last time the two sides met.
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