Champions Trophy 2025: 3 records that might get broken in final

Everything is in place for the summit clash of the Champions Trophy 2025 to unfold, as India will lock horns with New Zealand in the final of the ninth edition of the marquee tournament. The widely anticipated battle will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, March 9.  

India emerged as the toppers of Group A. Their path to the knockout phase was quite seamless. Their first couple of games had them chasing middling totals against Bangladesh and New Zealand, respectively. Both the contests were won by a margin of six wickets. The Men in Blue got through to the knockouts by winning their final group-stage game against New Zealand. It was a closely-fought duel in the first semi-final against Australia. What got them through was being the more clinical side on the day.

When it comes to New Zealand, they too defeated Pakistan and Afghanistan by quite comprehensive margins of 60 runs and five wickets, respectively. However, they fell short against India by 44 runs. They ended up in second place in Group B. Much like India, they seemed to be firing in all departments and came across as a highly well-rounded unit throughout their group-stage run. They put in a truly dominant performance against South Africa in their semi-final to get the better of the Proteas. 

Both sides have had a solid buildup to the tournament. While India overpowered England during the white-ball series at home by winning seven of the eight games played (four T20Is and three ODIs), New Zealand emerged as winners of the Tri-Nation Series. As a result, an action-packed grand finale could be expected to materialise. 

Here are the three records that might get broken in Champions Trophy 2025 final:

3. Virat Kohli 46 runs away from becoming leading run-scorer of Champions Trophy

Ace India batter Virat Kohli sits in the second spot when it comes to the list of the all-time run-getters in the history of the tournament. Ahead of the all-important final, Kohli's run tally in the tournament is 746 in 16 innings. Former West Indian cricketer Chris Gayle occupies the first position in the leaderboard. Gayle has scored 791 runs in one additional inning.

A prime opportunity presents itself for Kohli to surpass Gayle and ascend to the pinnacle of the pecking order. After enduring a lean patch in the red-ball format in the past few months, Kohli's recent performances in ODIs have seen him rediscover his mojo. Kohli's previous five innings in the format have seen him notch up two half-centuries and a ton. The stage looks primed for the big-match player to deliver another big knock against the Kiwis.