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Dubai: The much-anticipated day has arrived, as favourites India take on New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad this Sunday. While the Men in Blue will be looking to defend their title in historic fashion, New Zealand aims to spoil India’s celebrations.
“That’s the goal to silence the crowd, but there are a lot of challenges to cricket, and they are variable. I think there is a lot of pressure on India to win at home,” New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said. “I don’t mind winning the trophy. But we have been very consistent. I don’t mind breaking a few hearts and winning the trophy,” he added.
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav hit back on the comment and said, “Everybody is saying the same line. They should try something new.”
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Head-to-Head record
India and New Zealand have faced off 30 times in T20 internationals. India leads with 18 victories, while New Zealand has won 11. Three encounters have ended in ties. Interestingly, India has never beaten New Zealand in a T20 World Cup, having lost all three of their previous meetings in the tournament.
Pitch report
The final will be played on the centre wicket, which also hosted the IPL 2025 final. Fortunately for Indian fans, this is not the same pitch where India suffered one of their biggest heartbreaks of the 2023 World Cup against Australia. The red-and-black soil surface is expected to favour batting, and the chasing team has won five out of eight matches played here. Over 100,000 spectators are expected at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Weather forecast
Ahmedabad is forecast to be sweltering hot on Sunday, with temperatures reaching around 41°C during the day and cooling to 23°C at night. The skies are expected to stay mostly sunny, with intense afternoon sunshine. There’s little to no chance of rain, and conditions are expected to remain dry throughout the evening.
Road to the final
India: India had an excellent group stage, winning all four of their matches against USA, Pakistan, Netherlands, and Namibia. In the Super 8s, they bounced back from a loss to South Africa on Feb. 22 to win their next two matches and secure a semi-final spot, where they edged past England by 7 runs.
New Zealand: New Zealand had a solid group stage, losing to South Africa but winning their other three matches against Afghanistan, the UAE, and Canada. In the Super 8s, they faced more hurdles. After their game against Pakistan was washed out, they lost to England but managed to advance to the semi-finals thanks to a better net run rate. In the semi-final, they romped to a nine-wicket victory over South Africa.
Players to watch
India: Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Glenn Phillips
Predictions
Nasser Hussain, former England captain: “All the focus will be on India. New Zealand will do what they always do — rock up and play their best cricket. India are definitely the favourites, but do not write off New Zealand in any format.”
Dinesh Karthik, former Indian cricketer: “New Zealand are constantly a team where you think they could [win], but you never put them in the top three or top four teams, but every time in a multi-nation tournament they have made a mark and they punch above their weight. They do a fantastic job of playing solid cricket. I am looking forward to a blockbuster contest.”
Eoin Morgan, former England cricketer: “New Zealand will once again go into the latter stage, whether it’s the semi-final or the final, as underdogs. As Kane Williamson has said over the years, it’s not the breed of dog, it’s how loud they bark. They bark louder than most teams.”
Predicted playing XIs
India: Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (captain), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson
