Prediction for India vs New Zealand Champions Trophy final: Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma makes bold statement

Virat Kohli has been on fire in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025, leading India to the title clash showdown against New Zealand on Sunday. Kohli faced immense pressure before the tournament, following disappointing performances against New Zealand and Australia in the Test series. Despite attempting to regain form by playing in the Ranji Trophy, Kohli struggled to make an impact. Now, he has silenced his critics with his exceptional form in the Champions Trophy.

But fast forward to the ICC event, Kohli has found his form, and is India’s highest run-scorer in the tournament with 217 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 83.14.

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Speaking to ANI, Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma predicted a victory for India in the upcoming match. “It is a big match. The way India is playing in this tournament, I hope they will perform and win the final match. So far, India has won all the matches, and everyone is contributing. They are playing like a good team, so I am very confident that the team will win the title,” he said.

Hailing Kohli, he added, “I am really hopeful that Virat Kohli will continue his form and the way he is playing. If he continues to play like this, then India will definitely win this game.”

Kohli was pivotal for India in the semis, as he smacked 84 runs off 98 balls vs Australia, and got a ton against Pakistan in the group stage.

Varun Chakaravarthy is expected to be included in the squad as an extra after making his tournament debut in the semi-finals. Dubai has spin-friendly conditions, so fans will be expecting to see the KKR spinner in action. Kuldeep Yadav hasn’t been in good form lately, and could be dropped.

For New Zealand, Matt Henry is suffering from a sore shoulder, and is doubtful for the match. He is expected to start, but if he doesn’t recover, he could be replaced by Nathan Smith or Jacob Duffy.

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