Matt Henry was desperate to play in the Champions Trophy final. He had taken five wickets in the previous game against India and was the tournament’s highest wicket-taker. Despite injuring his shoulder while taking Heinrich Klaasen’s catch in the semi-final, he bowled two more overs and fielded. However, the injury ruled him out of the final against India, a team he had dominated in the past. In 11 ODIs against them, he had taken 21 wickets at an average of 21.00, with an economy of 4.48.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner admitted Henry was a big miss. His replacement, Nathan Smith, bowled only two overs in the final. Henry underwent a fitness test before the game but failed, leaving him distraught. “He was the leading wicket-taker and an outstanding bowler,” Santner said. Henry still finished as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with ten scalps at an average of 16.70. “He tried everything to be ready, but unfortunately, he wasn’t quite there.”
New Zealand faced multiple challenges throughout the tournament. While India played all their matches in Dubai, New Zealand had to travel between Dubai and three venues in Pakistan. Rachin Ravindra, the Player of the Tournament with 263 runs and three wickets, suffered a head injury before the event. Kyle Jamieson was a late replacement for the injured Lockie Ferguson.
Despite their struggles, Santner was proud of the team’s efforts. He credited India’s spinners for turning the game. New Zealand had started well at 57 for no loss but lost three quick wickets, with Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy making crucial breakthroughs. “We aimed for 275-280, but credit to Kuldeep and Varun for putting us under pressure,” Santner said.
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