Watch: New Zealand Pacer Matt Henry In Tears After Getting Ruled Out Of Champions Trophy 2025 Final
Henry is not playing in Champions Trophy 2025 final against India in Dubai due to a shoulder injury that he suffered while playing in the second semifinal on Wednesday.
New Zealand pacer Matt Henry was left teary-eyed on Sunday as he was ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy final against India in Dubai. The kiwis had to bench the right-arm quick as he couldn’t recover from the shoulder injury, suffered in the semi-final against South Africa on Wednesday in Lahore.
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Henry, the highest wicket-taker in the Champions Trophy leading up to the final with ten strikes, had hurt his shoulder while taking the catch to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen. He left the field but returned to bowl two overs late in the match. He was also seen diving in the field after he came back.
Henry bowled and fielded in the New Zealand training sessions on match eve, raising his team’s hopes. However, he wasn’t destined to play in the crunch finale against India. Probably the kiwis didn’t want to risk Henry for the contest and hence, they replaced him with a rookie pacer in Nathan Smith.
Henry had to accept the team’s call but he couldn’t stop hold back his tears as he failed the match fitness test. Minutes before the toss, the 33-year-old was seen wiping his wet eyes as coach Garry Stead consoled him by patting his back.
BREAKING: Matt Henry is OUT of the ICC Champions Trophy final with a shoulder injury 🚨 pic.twitter.com/qmBvTmVsiD— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 9, 2025
Doubts regarding Henry’s availability for the final arose on Friday when New Zealand head coach Gary Stead stated, “We’ve had some scans and stuff done on him, and we’re going to give him every chance to be playing in this match. [But it’s] still a little bit unknown at this stage."
Earlier, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner had expressed optimism about Henry’s participation following the match against South Africa. Stead, too, had initially sounded positive, saying, “I guess the positive thing from our perspective is he got back out there to bowl."
As for Henry’s performance in the ongoing Champions Trophy, he has been the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, claiming 10 wickets in four matches at an average of 16.70. His standout performance came in the group stage against India last Sunday when he secured a five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5 for 42.
Meanwhile, the Black Caps won the toss in the final and elected to bat first. They brought in allrounder Smith as Henry’s replacement, despite having the option of selecting fast bowler Jacob Duffy. Smith had featured in just one game in the tournament—the opener against Pakistan in Karachi—where he bowled two overs, picking up one wicket, but did not get a chance to bat. New Zealand won that match by 60 runs. On the other hand, India remained unchanged, sticking with their combination of four specialist spinners.
For more in-depth coverage of the Champions Trophy, check out the latest Points Table to see where your favourite team stands. Stay updated on the tournament’s top performers with the Most Runs and Most Wickets leaderboards. Keep following for all the latest updates!
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