Cricket's Rising Popularity in the Middle East: Ex-women's captain Bhatt predicts a 50-50 final

Former UAE women's cricket team captain Chari Bhatt is thrilled by the growth of cricket in the Middle East in recent years. She believes that India and New Zealand both have an equal chance of winning the Champions Trophy, with Rohit Sharma's team making smart decisions so far in the tournament.

India will take on New Zealand in the summit clash of the marquee ICC tournament here on Sunday, hoping to bring back the trophy they won in 2013.

"The spirit of cricket has really gone up here. The communities have come together to support cricket. We're seeing fans from every single place possible. They're turning up for practice sessions... they're turning up on match days. There's so much fight to watch their favourite players. The fans are looking forward to a lot of those moments," Bhatt, who is originally from Mumbai and captained the UAE women's team for eight years, told PTI Videos.

"They want to relive those moments. They want to interact with the players. They want to see them in person. So that's the kind of spirit of cricket that's gone up. I think this has been wonderful," Bhatt, who has now turned commentator for a local radio station and is the only female cricket voice in the Middle East, said.

She feels India and New Zealand have a 50-50 chance of lifting the trophy, given the competitiveness of the two sides.

"We'll probably see the same 11 on Sunday that India played against Australia . And if that is the case, they would want to take things much ahead."

"Honestly, I think it's 50-50 . The two sides are so good in the field. I've played cricket myself, so I know how important fielding is, especially in the longer format. Not taking anything away from India, but I think it's going to be 50-50."

Speaking highly about India's performance so far, Chari said they have been "fabulous".

"It's been fabulous. The way they have come out and played, they have judged the situation as per the conditions. They have put their best foot forward."

She opined that New Zealand have quality cricketers to tackle India's slow bowlers and also have batters who can play spin with dexterity.

"New Zealand does not just have quality spinners, they also know how to play spin. When you've got that on a track in Dubai, you automatically know that the opposition knows . They know how they're going to bat against India.

"So, a lot is going to depend on who's going to bat first and who will chase. If you're batting first, you will try and go way over the par score. New Zealand will definitely have this in mind," she opined.

Bhatt said she is really enjoying her role as a cricket commentator.

"I have played for 14 years, out of which eight years I was the skipper for the UAE. Now, I am a commentator. I'm the only... rather I'm recognised as the only female cricket voice in the Middle East. I'm bringing the Champions Trophy live on the local radio station.

"It's ball by ball, not only the India games but all the other games as well," Bhatt said. SR AM AM AM AM

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025, IPL 2025 Schedule and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news along with India vs New Zealand Live Score. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }