The pitch for the Champions Trophy final will be the same surface used during the Group A match between India and Pakistan on February 23. Like most pitches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS), it is expected to be slow and assist spinners, which should suit the Indian team.

In their previous encounter, Pakistan struggled against India's spin attack, with Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja claiming five wickets between them. At the time, Varun Chakravarthy had yet to feature, but given his current form, he is likely to thrive on this wicket.

Dubai’s pitches have generally favored bowlers, with an average first-innings score of 246 across four matches. The highest total so far has been Australia's 264 against India in the semifinal, which India chased down in the 49th over, losing six wickets. In contrast, the average score in the 10 games played in Pakistan stands at 295.

India, the only team in the tournament to bowl out all their opponents, will rely on their strong spin attack—Jadeja, Kuldeep, Axar, and Chakravarthy—heading into Sunday's final against New Zealand. The DICS features 10 pitches, all similar in nature, maintained by Australian curator Matthew Sandery. The ICC has rotated between four different surfaces during the tournament, and for the final, they are reusing a central pitch that has had over two weeks to recover.

Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak emphasized that the team has adapted well to pitch conditions. He noted that while each match sees slight changes in the wicket, the overall nature remains consistent. India’s strong starts and middle-order resilience have ensured their batting remains unaffected by pitch variations.

India vs New Zealand Champions Trophy Final 2025 playing 11 prediction:

India playing 11: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer / Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel / Washinton Sundar, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy, Mohd Shami, Kuldeep Yadav

New Zealand playing 11: Will Young, Daryll Mitchell, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke