Dubai, Mar 8 (PTI) Former UAE women's cricket team captain Chari Bhatt is really enthused by the way the sport has taken off in the Middle East in recent years and feels that despite Rohit Sharma's side judging the situation quite well so far in the Champions Trophy, India and New Zealand have a 50-50 chance of winning the title.

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.

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"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 (fans) 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.

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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 (in the semis). And if that is the case, they would want to take things much ahead."

"Honestly, I think it's 50-50 (chance). 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 (ability to play spin and bowl well) on a track in Dubai, you automatically know that the opposition knows (how to tackle India). 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.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)