India news: India set for New Zealand clash in T20 final

India's northwest and southeast regions are experiencing an unusually hot start to March, with day and night temperatures recorded at 6 to12 degrees Celsius above normal.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heat wave conditions in isolated pockets over the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh and the southern coastal state of Andhra Pradesh.

New Delhi recorded a maximum of 35.7 degrees Celsius on Saturday, which is the highest recorded temperature in the first week of March in 15 years, IMD official Akhil Srivastava told DW.

The national capital is expected to see maximum temperatures between 36 and 37 degrees Celsius through next week.

Srivastava said the above-normal heat was due to the lack of cloud cover over these regions.

However, the highest temperature was recorded in Amravati, a city in the western state of Maharashtra, which is prone to acute droughts every year.

The weather agency expects most of the country to continue facing above-normal heat for the summer months of March to May.

More than 52,000 Indians have returned to the country from the Gulf region over the last week, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, while it continues to monitor the conflict in the Middle East.

"Following the partial opening of the airspace across the region in the last few days, Indian and foreign airlines are operating commercial flights, including non-scheduled flights, to enable the return of Indian passengers who were in Transit or on short-term visas," the statement said, adding that more flights are planned in the coming days.

The ministry advised Indians in Gulf countries where commercial flights are unavailable contact their local embassy for information.

The Indian government "remains engaged with the governments across the region to work towards facilitating all those in need of assistance," it said.

Earlier this week, some Indians stranded in Dubai told DW that the Indian embassy had directed them to available commercial flights, information they said was also available online.

One young Indian couple, who finally returned to India on Saturday, said they managed to get on a flight after days of calling commercial airlines directly.

Defending champion and co-host India will play New Zealand later today in Ahmedabad, hoping to lift the T20 World Cup trophy for the third time.

The match will begin at 7pm IST (13:30 GMT) at India's largest stadium, the Narendra Modi Stadium. It can hold over 130,000 fans, some of whom have traveled across the country to witness the action. Hundreds of millions more are expected to tun in on television.

For the Indian cricket team, expectations are sky high.

"There will definitely be pressure and nerves, especially playing in India and going for the title," said Suryakumar Yadav, captain of the Indian team, after the team's nerve-shredding seven-run win over England in the semifinal. "But the boys and the whole support staff are excited as well," he said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) posted snapshots of Team India's final practice before the big night.

India had to win three consecutive knockouts to reach the final after suffering a massive defeat to South Africa earlier in the tournament.

But for India and its fans, there's added pressure.

The match in Ahmedabad brings back memories for millions of a Cricket World Cup final lost to Australia two years ago.

After India's win over England in the semifinal game, social media was flooded with reels of fans recalling the heartbreak.

It remains to be seen if the cricket team can redeem that loss and heal that heartbreak for Indian fans.

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