Young, Ravindra, and Kiwi quest to reignite 2000 magic

Stephen Fleming. Nathan Astle. Scott Styris. These were the names that etched New Zealand's lone men's white-ball tournament triumph into history. The Black Caps' thrilling four-wicket win over India in the 2000 Champions Trophy final in Kenya remains a defining moment in their cricketing journey—one that inspired an entire generation.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Now, 25 years later, a new breed of Black Caps stands on the cusp of emulating that feat as they prepare to face India in the 2025 Champions Trophy title clash in Dubai. Among them, 32-year-old opener Will Young is carrying the echoes of that triumph as motivation, drawing strength from the childhood memories of his country's greatest white-ball moment.

"There were some iconic names in that squad, and those are the ones plenty of guys in this squad looked up to back in the day," Young reflected on the eve of the contest.

"It is cool to be trying to achieve the same thing 25 years later. I was eight years old at the time and just starting to fall in love with the game."

The connection to New Zealand's rich cricketing past remains strong within the team. Before their departure for the tournament, the squad had a special unveiling ceremony where Scott Styris, one of the heroes of 2000, shared stories of that historic campaign.