Ricky Ponting praises New Zealand's performance in 2025 Champions Trophy
What's the story
Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has hailed New Zealand's phenomenal run in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy.
Even though they lost to India in the final, Ponting lauded the team's consistency and fighting spirit in the tournament.
He now considers them a top contender in any major International Cricket Council (ICC) event.
"I don't think it (New Zealand's campaign) went wrong at all. I think they had another outstanding tournament," as per India Today.
Strong performance
New Zealand's impressive journey in the tournament
New Zealand's ICC Champions Trophy campaign was highlighted by a win against a strong team like South Africa.
They lost only to India, first in the group stage and then in the final in Dubai.
Although they weren't among Ponting's first picks for the semi-finals, their consistent performances throughout the tournament led Ponting to acknowledge their potential as contenders.
"As soon as you start talking about fours for ICC events, you just have to put NZ in," he stated
Praise
Ponting lauds New Zealand's dominant semi-final performance
Ponting was especially impressed with New Zealand's semi-final performance against South Africa.
He said, "What a dominant performance it was against South Africa in their semi-final to make it through to the final. You probably can't play a better game of one-day cricket than that."
He lauded their decision to bat first and score over 360 runs.
Team dynamics
Key players and future prospects
New Zealand's skipper Mitchell Santner, Glenn Phillips, and Kane Williamson played pivotal roles in the team's journey.
Williamson scored a century in the semi-final against South Africa, while Phillips's exceptional fielding was noteworthy.
Despite their loss to India by four wickets in the final, Ponting praised their fighting spirit and predicted that they will remain among favorites for future ICC events.
Upcoming series
New Zealand's future fixtures and title prospects
After their Champions Trophy campaign, New Zealand will take on Pakistan in a limited-overs series of five T20Is and three ODIs.
This will give them a chance to redeem themselves from the final heartbreak.
Ponting said he believes it won't be long before New Zealand win a white-ball title in an ICC tournament, considering their knack of making it to the knockout rounds, time and again.