Dubai [UAE], March 2 : Ahead of their clash against New Zealand on Sunday in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium, India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul said that looking at his team win in the first two matches of the competition from behind the stumps has been "great".
The Men in Blue have had terrific performances in the marquee event so far, beating Bangladesh in the first encounter and arch-rivals Pakistan in the second. Both matches were won by six wickets which were played in Dubai.
"The view from behind the stumps has been great, and from the front, it's quite satisfactory. But KL Rahul has this and a lot more to offer. This Sunday, we meet familiar foes. Uh, let's call them friends. Let's stick to opponents, and let's get going," KL Rahul said in a video posted by indiancricketteam on Instagram.
In the ongoing Champions Trophy, Rahul has embraced his role as a wicketkeeper batter. In the Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh, he continued his red-hot form with a composed 41* from 47 deliveries, laced with a sole four and two towering maximums.
Further, the 32-year-old player hailed the fielding of his team and compared it to "Formula 1 pit crew".
"It's great to make winning a habit. so we did in our first two games here in Dubai. Our batters rose to the occasion. Our bowlers left the opposition spellbound and our fielding unit performed like a Formula 1 pit crew," KL Rahul added.
India will face New Zealand in the last group stage match of the ongoing marquee event in Dubai. The two countries are eyeing the top spot in Group A, which will also help settle the semi-final permutations.
This match acts as a perfect tune-up for heading into the tournament's next stage. It's the only two remaining teams to have won every match at the tournament doing battle, and there's plenty to play for. The Kiwis and Men in Blue have met once in the Champions Trophy, and the Kiwis emerged victorious in that affair.
Squads:
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Jacob Duffy.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.