India and New Zealand, regulars in the knockoutsSince 2011, there have been 14 ICC men’s events leading into the 2025 Champions Trophy – including the two World Test Championship finals – of which India have reached the knockouts of all but two: the T20 World Cups held in 2012 and 2021. Of the 12 times they have reached the knockouts, India have lost in the semi-finals four times, they have been runners-up five times, and they have been champions three times.New Zealand have also been consistent, reaching the knockout stages eight times in this period, including four semi-final finishes and three runners-up finishes. They beat India to win the World Test Championship title in 2021. No other team has reached the semi-finals of ICC events more often that these two teams.

Cruising through the early stagesIn white-ball tournaments during this period, India have reached the knockout stage five times without dropping a single game, with their last two titles – T20 World Cup 2024 and Champions Trophy in 2013 – being unbeaten campaigns.Related

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New Zealand, too, have had a couple of unbeaten runs into the knockouts, in the 2015 ODI World Cup and the 2016 T20 World Cup.In the 38 group-stage matches that India have played in the ODI World Cup and Champions Trophy since 2011, they have lost just three and tied one, having a 11.333 win-to-loss record, miles clear of next-best Australia’s 2.555.Their last loss came against England in the 2019 World Cup, which has been followed by 14 victories.Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma lead the wayIndia have a few players in their current squad that have consistently contributed to the team’s success, none bigger than Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.Kohli’s three Player-of-the-Tournament awards in ICC events – the T20 World Cups in 2014 and 2016 and the 2023 ODI World Cup, are the most by any player. His 765-run campaign in 2023 was the best by any batter in ODI World Cup history, and he ended his T20I career being the leading run-scorer in T20 World Cups. He is also just 45 runs behind Chris Gayle to become the all-time highest run-scorer in the Champions Trophy.ESPNcricinfo LtdRohit’s seven hundreds in ODI World Cups, the most by a batter, have been instrumental in India’s victories over the years. Five of those came in the 2019: the most by a batter in a single edition. In T20 World Cups, no one has hit as many sixes (50) for India as Rohit.Ravindra Jadeja, with his tally of 20, is India’s highest wicket-taker in the Champions Trophy. He won the Player-of-the-Match award in the 2013 Champions Trophy final, which India won, while also taking the Golden Ball.Mohammed Shami, coming mid-tournament in the previous ODI World Cup, picked up 24 wickets, the most for India in a single edition.Kane Williamson stands out in New Zealand’s successAs for New Zealand, it’s hard to look past Kane Williamson, who has been their biggest match-winner. No one has scored more runs than him for New Zealand in any of the ICC white-ball events, be it the ODI and T20 World Cups or the Champions Trophy. He was their leading run-scorer in the 2019 World Cup run to the final, the joint-highest for them in a single edition.ESPNcricinfo LtdMitchell Santner, who has led his team to the finals in his first ever ICC tournament as captain, has been an integral part of the New Zealand setup in the past decade. He had picked up ten wickets in the 2016 T20 World Cup, his first ICC event, to help New Zealand reach the semi-finals. Even in this Champions Trophy, he has picked up seven wickets at a miserly economy of 4.85.Matt Henry has also had crucial contributions, such as the 3 for 37 in the 2019 World Cup semi-final. He is also leading the wicket chart in this Champions Trophy.