Dubai: India skipper Rohit Sharma have matched the unwanted record of losing 12 consecutive tosses in the ODI cricket in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
With his 12th toss defeat in a row, Rohit equalled West Indies legend Brian Lara, who endured a similar streak between October 1998 and May 1999. Netherlands’ Peter Borren is another name on the list who has lost 11 tosses between March 2011 – August 2013.
Overall, this marked the 15th consecutive toss defeat for India. Rohit’s streak of losses at the toss began in the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad, which India lost six wickets.
Coming to the match, New Zealand will play the 2025 Champions Trophy final without their pace bowling spearhead Matt Henry as they won the toss and elected to bat first.
Henry is the leading wicket-taker of the ongoing tournament with 10 scalps, including taking 5-42 against India in the Group A game in Dubai. But he injured his right shoulder while taking Heinrich Klaasen’s catch in New Zealand’s 50-run semi-final win over South Africa in Lahore.
Henry subsequently failed a fitness test in the run-up to the title clash, which has now prompted New Zealand to bring in right-arm pacer Nathan Smith.
India are chasing their third Champions Trophy title, while New Zealand are looking for their second silverware after last winning it in 2000. So far, India have been unbeaten in the ongoing competition, while New Zealand’s only loss in the tournament came to India in Dubai on March 2.
At the time of writing the report, New Zealand are 69/1 after the end of Powerplay.
(IANS)
