New Zealand didn't do anything wrong in Champions Trophy: Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting praised New Zealand's strong Champions Trophy campaign, highlighting their consistency and resilience despite losing to India in the final. He now sees them as a top-four contender in any major ICC event, crediting key players for their standout performances.

In Short

• Ponting praised New Zealand’s consistency and resilience in ICC events
• New Zealand’s only two losses came against eventual winners India
• New Zealand had won the Tri-series in build up to Champions Trophy

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting lauded New Zealand’s Champions Trophy campaign, highlighting their consistency and resilience despite falling short against India in the final. Ponting now sees New Zealand as a top-four contender in any major ICC event.

New Zealand’s impressive Champions Trophy run, culminating in a tough final loss to India, has earned praise from cricket legend Ricky Ponting. Ponting admitted he hadn’t picked them for the semi-finals but was impressed by their strong performances throughout the tournament.

New Zealand's journey included wins over strong sides in the Tri-series against South Africa and Pakistan, setting them up well for the Champions Trophy. Their only two defeats came against eventual champions India once in the group stage and then in the big final in Dubai.

"I don't think it (New Zealand's campaign) went wrong at all. I think they had another outstanding tournament. They were brilliant right the way through. I was asked at the start of the tournament who l thought the final four would be, and as soon as you start talking about fours for ICC events, you just have to put New Zealand in it, because they just always do it," Ponting said.

"I didn't do it this time because I thought Pakistan would make it being home, and I thought South Africa would make it. So I didn't have New Zealand there, and sure enough, there they are again. 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. To bat first and make 360-odd, I think it's the highest total ever in a Champions Trophy game," he added.

The Black Caps put in a strong performance; credit to skipper Mitchell Santner for his leadership and Glenn Phillips for his exceptional fielding, while Kane Williamson’s century in the semi-final against South Africa was a standout moment. Injury-returnee Rachin Ravindra also delivered key contributions during the campaign.

Despite a spirited performance, New Zealand couldn’t match India’s strength in the final, falling by four wickets. Ponting praised their fighting spirit and predicted they would remain among the favourites in future ICC events.

New Zealand will next take on Pakistan in a limited-overs series featuring five T20Is and three ODIs, where they’ll aim to bounce back from their final disappointment and build on their solid foundation.