New Zealand pacer Matt Henry once again proved to be India's nemesis in ICC tournaments, delivering a good performance in the final Group A clash of the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai.
Henry’s exceptional spell of 5 for 42 in eight overs played a crucial role in restricting India to 249/9 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
With this feat, Henry etched his name in history, becoming the first bowler in Champions Trophy history to take a five-wicket haul against India. Before him, Pakistan’s Naveed-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Akhtar had taken four-wicket hauls against India in the 2004 edition, while Zimbabwe’s Douglas Hondo had achieved the same in 2002.
Henry’s brilliance against India is nothing new. The Kiwi seamer played a pivotal role in India’s heartbreaking exit from the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final, taking three wickets in that match. Now, in the 2025 Champions Trophy, he continued to haunt India, dismantling their batting lineup on a sluggish Dubai pitch.
His nine wickets in just three matches against India in ICC white-ball tournaments (World Cup and Champions Trophy) surpass the previous record of six wickets held by Brian McKechnie.
How Henry Dismantled India’s Batting Order
After New Zealand opted to bowl first, Henry set the tone early:
• Trapping Shubman Gill (2) LBW in the third over, preventing India from getting a quick start.
• Dismissing Virat Kohli (11) in his 300th ODI, with Glenn Phillips taking a spectacular catch at point.
• Removing Ravindra Jadeja (16) in the middle overs, preventing India from stabilising.
• Striking in the final over, dismissing Hardik Pandya (45) and Mohammed Shami, denying India any late flourish.
This match also marked Henry’s 90th ODI, and his five-wicket haul propelled him past legendary Richard Hadlee in New Zealand’s all-time wicket-takers list. Henry now has 163 ODI wickets, surpassing Hadlee’s 158 wickets in 115 matches.
The all-time record for most ODI wickets for New Zealand still belongs to Daniel Vettori, who finished his stellar career with 297 wickets in 291 matches.
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