As India prepare for the highly anticipated Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand in Dubai, former head coach Ravi Shastri has hinted at a possible change in India’s playing XI. While he didn’t specify who might be left out, Shastri emphasized that pitch conditions would heavily influence the final lineup.

India stuck with the same XI in their semi-final victory over Australia — the same lineup that had previously triumphed against New Zealand earlier in the tournament. Varun Chakaravarthy starred in that match, tearing through the Kiwi batting order with a remarkable five-wicket haul, which cemented his place for the crucial knock-out clash on Tuesday.

“I won’t be surprised if there might be a change for either side depending on the pitch,” Shastri told The ICC Review. “Because the pitch we saw against Australia was the best pitch we’ve seen in the tournament.”

Shastri further highlighted that with sufficient time to prepare the pitch, teams may rethink their strategies.

Shastri also said – “So the groundsman has another five days since the last game to prepare a surface and if it’s a 280-300 surface like the last one was, you might just want to think about it. But you won’t tinker with the side unless necessary,”