New Delhi [India], March 13: ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting praised New Zealand’s exceptional performance in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where they narrowly lost to India in the final held at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 9.
In the final, India, led by Rohit Sharma’s swift half-century and strong performances from Shreyas Iyer and spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, secured their third ICC Champions Trophy title, defeating New Zealand by four wickets. Despite the loss, Ponting lauded New Zealand’s efforts throughout the tournament.
Speaking on The ICC Review, Ponting said, “I don’t think it (New Zealand’s campaign) went wrong at all. I think they had another outstanding tournament. They were brilliant right the way through. I was asked at the start of the tournament who I thought the final four would be, and as soon as you start talking about top fours for ICC events, you just have to put New Zealand in it, because they just always do it.”
Ponting admitted that he did not pick New Zealand this time, opting instead for Pakistan and South Africa, but emphasized that the Black Caps proved him wrong once again by making it to the final. He also highlighted New Zealand’s dominant semi-final performance against South Africa, where they posted a record total of over 360 runs, the highest ever in a Champions Trophy game.
The 50-year-old former Australia captain also praised Matt Henry, New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker, who missed the final due to injury. “They just came up against a really good team in the final, and they weren’t far away. India won in the 49th or 50th over. They haven’t done a lot wrong. That’s without some of their stars actually performing in that final. And that’s without Matt Henry being fit in that final as well,” Ponting said.
Ponting commended the contributions of Glenn Phillips, who impressed with his all-round performance, particularly in the field with stunning catches. Drawing comparisons to some of the best fielders in the game, Ponting said, “If you put the highlights reel together, his is now probably better than anyone. His agility is just unbelievable. His ability to launch himself for catches, and a lot of them are one-handers as well, so it’s not just the agility, but you’ve still got to hang on to the ball.”
When discussing Phillips’ catch of Shubman Gill in the final, Ponting shared his thoughts, saying, “I think he could have got that with two hands, and that made it probably look a bit more spectacular than it needed to be. But some of his other catches are unbelievably good.” Ponting also praised Phillips’ fielding in Test cricket, especially in the backward point region.
Ponting concluded by stating that New Zealand had a remarkable campaign and that with continued performances like these, it’s only a matter of time before they secure an ICC tournament victory.