Defending champion India chases glory against resurgent New Zealand

Cricket fans arrived in Ahmedabad in large numbers on Sunday ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final between co-hosts India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium, with supporters backing the Suryakumar Yadav-led Men in Blue to win while acknowledging that the Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand side would pose a significant threat.

Speaking to ANI in Ahmedabad, an Indian cricket team supporter said he is excited about the final and expects a competitive match, noting that while they want India to win, New Zealand will provide tough competition.”Obviously, we want India to win, but New Zealand will be a competitive team. They give us tough competition and we expect a good game. We are very excited,” he said.Another supporter, who travelled from Delhi, said he is excited to watch the final and is confident India will win, adding that he looks forward to seeing Sanju Samson bat and expects Jasprit Bumrah to perform well as usual.

“I came from Delhi to watch the final today. There’s a lot of excitement. I think we’ll win today. Sanju Samson will play well, and I’m very excited to see him bat, and Bumrah always plays well,” he said. -- ANI

He was first pushed down the order to accommodate Shubman Gill. He then lost his place in the XI to Jitesh Sharma’s finishing prowess before eventually regaining his preferred slot at the top of the order on the cusp of the Men’s T20 World Cup. What followed was a horrendous series against New Zealand, forcing him to wait a little longer for his T20 World Cup debut.

Sanju Samson reflects on his journey to success in the T20 World Cup

Sanju Samson reflects on his journey to success in the T20 World Cup, showcasing resilience and determination after early struggles.

Another Indian team supporter, while speaking to ANI in Guwahati, said India have performed well throughout the tournament but also acknowledged New Zealand’s strong performance. He expressed hope that India would win the summit clash, highlighting Sanju Samson’s good form.”India’s performance has been good in the whole tournament. New Zealand is also performing well. But I am hoping that India wins. Sanju Samson has been performing well,” he said. -- ANI

While the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup attracts global attention for its high-octane cricket, the tournament also has a little-known connection with Jaipur, where the iconic trophy was crafted.

Jaipur-based trophy designer Amit Pabuwal said the trophy for the tournament was made by him after the initial design concept was prepared by Australia’s Minale Bryce.

Pabuwal said the design outline of the trophy was prepared in 2007, the year the inaugural edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was held. Following that, the International Cricket Council entrusted him with the task of crafting the trophy.

“Once the design outline was finalised, the ICC assigned me the work of making the trophy. That is how the ICC T20 World Cup trophy was produced in 2007,” he told PTI.

Pabuwal said he had earlier designed the world’s largest silver “Friendship Cup” trophy for cricket, which drew attention and eventually led the ICC to approach him for the T20 World Cup trophy.

“The ICC had initially planned to create the trophy using a combination of titanium and glass so that the design would reflect the fast and modern style of T20 cricket,” he said.

“Several prototypes were prepared, but the glass components repeatedly broke when being integrated with the metal structure, making the concept technically difficult to execute. After several experiments, I advised that the combination would not work technically.” He said the final version was made of silver with platinum plating, making it durable and suitable for an international tournament.

Pabuwal added that the original trophy remains at the ICC headquarters, while the winning team receives an identical replica.

The trophy stands about 21 inches tall, weighs around six kilograms and is made of silver with platinum plating, he said. -- PTI

In-form India opener Sanju Samson figured in the eight-man shortlist for the T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament announced by the ICC on Friday (March 6, 2026).

The other nominees are England all-rounder Will Jacks, Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan, South Africa’s pacer Lungi Ngidi and captain Aiden Markram, New Zealand’s all-rounder Rachin Ravindra and batter Tim Seifert, and American bowler Shadley van Schalkwyk.

Samson, who did not play in the early part of the tournament, lit up the T20 World Cup with consecutive player-of-the-match performances.

Samson among eight nominees for T20WC Player of the Tournament announced by ICC

Sanju Samson is nominated for T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament alongside seven other standout players, including Will Jacks and Sahibzada Farhan.

India, the world’s top-ranked T20 team, knocked out England in a nerve-shredding semi-final in Mumbai.

The match drew 619 million views on streaming platform JioHotstar, according to the company, including a 65 million peak at the same time.

International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah said it “shattered the world record for digital viewership”. -- AFP

Tens of thousands of Indian cricket fans streamed toward the T20 World Cup final stadium and millions more will be glued to their televisions desperate to witness a historic home triumph.

Diehard supporters arrived from across the country, many clad in Indian colours and waving the tricolour flag.

Anil, a wedding photographer, travelled 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) by train from the southern city of Hyderabad with his brother dreaming they will see their team triumph.

“I hope India wins,” said the 18-year-old who goes by only his first name.

Hundreds of vendors, all dressed in Indian jerseys, lined the pavement from the nearest metro rail station to the stadium — painting the entire kilometre-long stretch blue. -- AFP

Australia has the legacy. India has the recency. And New Zealand has the consistency.

That is one way to sum up performances at ICC limited-overs World Cups in the last decade. Since 2015, Sunday (March 8, 2026) will mark the fifth time New Zealand’s men feature in the final of a global tournament — a testament to their sustained excellence across formats.

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New Zealand reached its second men’s T20 World Cup final with a victory so complete that, for all the intrigue of the first half, the chase carried scarcely a tremor of uncertainty. Pursuing 170 at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, the Black Caps swept past the Proteas by nine wickets with 43 balls to spare.

For long stretches earlier, the South African total of 169 for eight had the look of something modest. Much had to be owed to New Zealand’s reading of the surface and the match-ups. The pitch was slower than the one used for the India-West Indies Super Eight game, the ball gripping and refusing to arrive cleanly to the bat. Mitchell Santner recognised it early.

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It was a Thursday with an early weekend vibe and the fans relished every second. Despite Jacob Bethell’s incandescent ton, India prevailed over England by seven runs in the ICC T20 World Cup semifinal in Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium.

Chasing India’s 253 for seven, England finished with 246 for seven. The visitors lost Philip Salt and skipper Harry Brook early. Even as Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah exulted, these wickets revealed Axar Patel’s safe hands. Running away from cover, Axar dived and caught Brook’s miscued shot.

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The mystery seems to have unravelled and though his teammates still consider Varun Chakravarthy the ‘X-factor’, the leg-spinner knows that he is racing against time to arrest what has been a stunning slide.

The world’s top-ranked bowler would be a weak link for India going into the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand on Sunday (March 8, 2026) if the team management chooses to persist with him.

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India faces a Varun Chakravarthy dilemma ahead of the T20 World Cup final, with Axar Patel emphasising confidence and consistency.

A mixed-soil surface combining red and black soil is set to be used for the ICC T20 World Cup final between co-host India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Sunday.

The Hindu understands that Pitch No. 6 on the centre square has been shortlisted by the local curators in consultation with the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the title clash.

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T20 World Cup final set for a 'true surface' at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, promising an exciting match between India and New Zealand.

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A Suryakumar Yadav press conference can feel a lot like watching him bat. Just when you think the line of questioning is predictable, he pulls out something unexpected. A quip here, a smirk there; it is 360-degree box office.

So, when asked for a reaction to New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner’s ‘the goal is to silence the crowd’ remark on the eve of the T20 World Cup final, Suryakumar said: “Why does everyone keep copy-pasting the same line? They need to come up with something new.”

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Suryakumar Yadav addresses concerns over Varun's form, emphasizing team effort and a relaxed approach ahead of the T20 final.

Will the Indian cricket team repeat history? Will it defeat history? No men’s team has won the ICC T20 World Cup back-to-back and no host nation has won the title in its own backyard. Standing against them and trying to prevent them from repeating and defeating history is New Zealand.

A team that has beaten India every single time in the T20 World Cup. A team that has beaten them in the final of the ICC World Test Championship.

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The battle between the Allen-Seifert duo and Bumrah will be key

The battle between the Allen-Seifert duo and Bumrah will be key

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In its earlier modest avatar as the Motera, the current gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium, witnessed history. In this venue, Sunil Gavaskar became the first man to reach 10,000 Test runs with a late cut off Pakistani spinner Ijaz Faqih in 1987. And in 1994, Kapil Dev emerged as the highest wicket-taker in Tests, scalping Sri Lankan Hashan Tillakaratne as his 432nd victim.

T20 World Cup final: Defending champion India chases glory against resurgent New Zealand

India faces New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final, aiming to defend their title and make history.

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