Chasing 250 runs, the Kiwis collapsed at 205.

The match, played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, saw New Zealand winning the toss and electing to field first.

New Zealand’s decision to bowl first paid off as India’s top order faltered.

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Shubman Gill was the first to go, dismissed LBW by Matt Henry for 15 runs.

Captain Rohit Sharma followed soon, scoring just 15 runs before being caught by Will Young off Kyle Jamieson.

Virat Kohli, who had scored a century against Pakistan, was dismissed for 11 runs after being caught by Glenn Phillips off Henry.

At 30/3, India was in deep trouble. However, Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings with a 98-run partnership.

Axar Patel scored 42 runs before getting caught by Kane Williamson off Rachin Ravindra at 128/4.

Shreyas Iyer led the recovery, scoring 79 runs, the highest for India.

Hardik Pandya contributed 45 runs, including two sixes and four boundaries.

KL Rahul (23) and Ravindra Jadeja (16) provided support.

New Zealand’s Matt Henry was the standout bowler, taking 5 wickets for 42 runs. Kyle Jamieson, Rachin Ravindra, Will O’Rourke, and Mitchell Santner claimed one wicket each.

India finished at 249/9 in 50 overs, setting a 250-run target for New Zealand.

New Zealand’s chase falls short New Zealand struggled from the start, as Rachin Ravindra was dismissed for just 6 runs at 17/1.

Will Young was bowled by Varun Chakravarthy for 22 runs, reducing New Zealand to 49/2.

Daryl Mitchell (17) and Tom Latham (14) couldn’t contribute significantly. Glenn Phillips managed 12 runs before getting out at 133/5.

Mitchell Bracewell (2) and Mitchell Santner (15) also failed to anchor the innings.

Kane Williamson, with 81 runs, was New Zealand’s only major contributor before falling to Axar Patel at 169/7.

New Zealand’s tailenders couldn’t resist, and the entire team was bowled out for 205 runs in 45.3 overs, handing India a comfortable 44-run win.

Varun Chakravarthy shines

Playing only his second ODI, Varun Chakravarthy delivered a stunning performance, claiming 5 wickets, earning him the Player of the Match award. Kuldeep Yadav took 2 wickets, while Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja got one each.

India to face Australia in semi-final

With this victory, India remained unbeaten in the group stage and will face Australia in the first semi-final on March 4 in Dubai.

Match toss and teams

New Zealand’s captain Mitchell Santner had opted to field first, saying, “Winning and securing a semi-final spot is our first target.”

India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, stated before the match, “Our goal is to finish at the top of Group A, and we will aim for victory.”

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.

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