Matt Henry doubtful for Champions Trophy final vs India

Matt Henry remains in doubt for New Zealand’s Champions Trophy final against India on Sunday in Dubai, as the fast bowler continues to recover from a shoulder injury sustained in the semi-finals.

Henry, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, has been a crucial part of the Black Caps’ attack, taking 10 wickets across four matches at an economy rate of 5.32.

However, his availability for the final is uncertain after he landed awkwardly while taking a catch against South Africa in Lahore.

Though he managed to return and complete his spell, concerns over his fitness persist heading into Sunday’s decider.

“He’s obviously pretty sore just from landing on the point of his shoulder,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said on Friday. “Hopefully he will be okay.”

“I guess the positive thing from our perspective is he got back out there to bowl. 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.”

Henry’s potential absence would be a major setback for New Zealand, who are already priced as -250 underdogs across cricket betting sites.

Top online betting sites have listed him at +200 to be the Black Caps’ top bowler in the final, but those odds could shift if he is ruled out.

India, currently the -250 favorite to win their third Champions Trophy title, also holds a logistical advantage, having played all four of their matches in Dubai.

New Zealand, in contrast, has traveled between five different venues throughout the tournament, something Stead acknowledged has taken a toll on the squad.

“There’s no doubt that coming here after Lahore – we had a full day of travel yesterday – takes it out of you a little bit,” he said.

“But we’ve got a couple of days now, a little bit of recovery and a little bit of planning and training towards the game.

But I guess we’re deep into the tournament now, and sometimes it’s not always a lot of training that you need. It’s just getting your body and your mind right to compete in the final.

That will be our key focus over the next two days.”