New Zealand's Key Pacer Matt Henry's Participation in Champions Trophy Final in Doubt Due to Injury

New Zealand’s key pace bowler, Matt Henry, faces uncertainty over his participation in the Champions Trophy final against India after sustaining a shoulder injury during the semifinal against South Africa. The injury occurred while fielding, raising concerns over his ability to play in the final.

Henry, who is the tournament's leading wicket-taker, was injured while taking a catch off Hendrik Klaasen's bat during the semifinal. Despite the injury, he returned to the field and bowled two more overs, showing resilience, and was also active in the field.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead stated that they cannot confirm Henry’s condition just yet. "The good news is that he came back and bowled. We have scanned him, and we are trying to give him a chance to play. But we can’t make any definitive decisions yet,” Stead said.

Henry has been in outstanding form throughout the tournament, taking 10 wickets at an average of 16.70. His brilliant 5/42 performance against India in the group stage played a major role in New Zealand’s victory. In that match, he surpassed New Zealand's cricket legend Richard Hadlee to become the country’s eighth-highest wicket-taker in One Day Internationals.

In the semifinal against South Africa, Henry claimed 2/43, contributing significantly to his team's success. However, his injury could be a massive blow for New Zealand as they head into the final.

If Henry is unable to play in the final, Jacob Duffy is in line to replace him. Although Duffy has yet to feature in a match in this tournament, he had an impressive outing in the warm-up match against Pakistan, where he took 1/48 in 7 overs.

New Zealand will face India in the final on Saturday at the Dubai International Stadium, with the team aiming for their first-ever Champions Trophy victory. However, Henry’s injury has become a major concern for the squad ahead of the big match.