India vs New Zealand: Predicted playing XI, Dubai pitch report and weather update ahead of Champions Trophy final

New Zealand stands in the way of India's quest to claim the ICC Champions Trophy after 12 years on Sunday. When the two teams meet at the Dubai International Stadium, the Kiwis will be going in with a 10-6 lead over their Asian rivals across all the ICC tournaments. New Zealand also enjoy a 3-1 upper hand over India in the ICC knockout matches, news agency PTI said. 

However, Rohit Sharma's men are familiar with the conditions having played the entire tournament at Dubai. On the other hand, the Black Caps are in exceptional form, displaying flamboyant batting and extraordinary athleticism on the field. A spin-heavy lineup is expected to take the field for both finalists as the Dubai pitch is turn-friendly. Ahead of the much anticipated final, here are a few things that you would like to know:

India vs NZ final: Will it rain in Dubai on Sunday?

Dubai is unlikely to witness any rains on Sunday. The afternoon temperature is said to be around 34 degrees Celsius before coming down to around 24 degrees Celsius in the evening.

India vs NZ final: Pitch report and conditions

The same pitch used for the group-stage encounter between India and Pakistan on February 23 has been reportedly chosen for the final. It has been under covers for the past few days but is expected to aid spinners well in the hot conditions.

India predicted playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy

New Zealand predicted playing XI: Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke