Will Young aims to replicate NZ's 2000 ICC Knockout triumph
What's the story
New Zealand opener Will Young is hopeful of his team's chances in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy.
He wishes they can repeat their 2000 ICC Knockout final win over India, a match he was aware of at just eight years of age.
The Blackcaps won this tournament before it was renamed Champions Trophy.
New Zealand have won three out of four matches, their only defeat coming against India on March 2.
Here's more.
Inspiration
Young reflects on the 2000 squad's influence
Young expressed admiration for the iconic players from the 2000 squad.
"There were some iconic names in that squad and those are the ones plenty of guys in this squad looked up to back in the day," he said in a press conference.
He thinks it would be "cool" to achieve a similar feat 25 years later.
Young also recalled an event before their departure where Scott Styris shared stories about that victorious team and their exploits during that tournament.
Strategy shift
Young emphasizes learning from past encounters
Young emphasized learning from their last meeting with India in Dubai, not on reminiscing it.
He thinks the final will be decided by who plays better on that day.
He said, "There is plenty we can take from that in a scouting point of view... But to be honest, it is who will show up on the day, you can't be too stuck in the past."
Expert opinion
Shoaib Akhtar advises New Zealand to ignore underdog status
Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has advised New Zealand to throw away their underdog tag in the final against India.
Despite India's overwhelming advantages, Akhtar believes if any side can challenge India's dominance, it's the Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand team.
He emphasized that Santner has a strong belief and as captain, he wants to win the title.
Key challenge
Akhtar highlights the importance of handling Rohit Sharma
Akhtar pinpointed keeping India captain Rohit Sharma quiet in the powerplay as one of New Zealand's biggest challenges in Sunday's final.
"Rohit will try to neutralize your spinners. He will attack Santner. At that point, he has to handle his team as a leader," Akhtar said on 'Game on Hai'.
Although he favored India with a 70-30 odds prediction due to their batting strength and maturity, he believes New Zealand can win if they bring their A-game on that day.
Batting strategy
Shoaib Malik advises New Zealand batters to emulate Steve Smith
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik advised New Zealand batters to take cues from Australian batter Steve Smith.
He lauded Smith's innings in the semi-final against India for tackling the spinners well.
"What separates Indian batters is their ability to rotate the strike... The innings that Smith played is a good example to negate the Indian spinners," he said on 'Game on Hai'.
He also advised players who get into 20s-30s should try and convert it into bigger scores.
IND vs NZ
India meet New Zealand in high-voltage Champions Trophy final
The much-awaited final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will see India face off against New Zealand.
The match will be played on March 9 at the Dubai International Stadium. India have been dominant in the tournament, winning all their four games so far. New Zealand are not far behind, having clinched three of their four matches.
The pitch at Dubai International Stadium is expected to be balanced, with both pace and spin bowlers getting assistance.