Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 9 (ANI): Ahead of today's Champions Trophy final between India and New Zealand on Sunday, cricket fans in Varanasi have gathered to perform a traditional 'aarti' as they pray for India's victory.

In Kanpur, Indian cricket team supporters performed a 'havan' at the Radha Madhav Temple to pray for the team's victory in today's final clash.

Team India will face New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, seeking to register one more ICC trophy.

Meanwhile Mubir Alam, uncle of cricketer Mohammad Shami, said, 'I pray for the victory of India. India has won all the matches in the series so far, so they will win the finals as well...Shami has taken most of the wickets...the trophy will come to India.'

In Kolkata, Arijit Majumder, an NCA level II coach, said, 'If I speak from the heart, I am positive that India will win. Technically, the match will be good. The combination in both teams is nice... The bigger cricketers like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are well aware of what they need to do; they need not be told...'

Pertinently, ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium Team India's vice-captain Shubman Gill stated that Men in Blue's current batting line-up is the 'best' of which he has been part of so far in his career.

At the pre-match press conference, Gill lauded the presence of stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, along with the depth in the middle order, allowing the top order to play with more freedom.

'I think this is the best batting lineup that I have been part of personally. Rohit and Virat I think are all-time one-day greats in the world. Rohit is one of the best openers in white ball. And Virat is one of the best ODI batsmen ever,' Gill said.

He further highlighted how the presence of in-form players like Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja has strengthened the team's batting unit.

'In case of batting, we have Shreyas in such good form, KL, Hardik, Jaddu. So, I think the depth in our batting makes it easier for the upper batsmen. We can play more freely from the top because we have so much depth,' he added.

Reflecting on India's initial struggles, Gill admitted that a lack of batting depth had put extra pressure on the top-order batters earlier, but the current squad has successfully addressed that issue.

'I think this is one thing in which we struggled a little in the beginning. There was not enough depth in batting. So, there was a little more pressure on the batsmen to score long. But I think the depth in batting allows us to play a little more freely,' he explained.

India is undefeated in the tournament so far, and the Kiwis have looked rock solid with bat and ball under Mitchell Santner's captaincy.

India claimed last week's contest against the Kiwis by 44 runs, after posting 249 runs from their 50 overs and restricting New Zealand to 205 runs all out in the 46th over. (ANI)