Here’s why Matt Henry isn’t featuring in Champions Trophy final against India

New Zealand pacer Matt Henry has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy final against India due to a shoulder injury he sustained during the semi-final against South Africa on March 5 in Lahore.

Nathan Smith has been named as Henry's replacement in the New Zealand XI.

Concerns over Henry’s fitness arose on Friday when New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said, "We've had some scans done on him, and we're giving him every chance to play in this match. But it's still a bit unknown at this stage." 

Despite participating in New Zealand's training session before the final, where he bowled and fielded, Henry was ultimately left out of the playing XI. This raised hopes of his inclusion, but the team decided against risking his injury in such an important match.

Henry, who has been the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 10 wickets, hurt his shoulder while taking a catch to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen during the semi-final. Though he left the field initially, he returned later to bowl two overs and even dived in the field after coming back.

Henry has been a key player for New Zealand throughout the tournament, playing an instrumental role in their run to the final. In their only loss during the group stage to India, he took a five-wicket haul, with that match also being played in Dubai.

To replace Henry, New Zealand chose allrounder Nathan Smith over another fast bowler like Jacob Duffy. Smith, who has only played in one match during the tournament, was part of New Zealand's opening game against Pakistan in Karachi. There, he bowled two overs, taking one wicket as New Zealand secured a 60-run victory.