Ahmedabad: An upbeat Indian team will square off against a strong New Zealand side in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, in what will be a second ICC tournament summit clash between the two teams in the past one year after the Champions Trophy final that took place a year ago, on March 9, 2025.
India head into the final against New Zealand with a slight edge. Playing at home, carrying the tag of defending champions, and coming off recent bilateral wins against the Kiwis, India appear to have momentum on their side. However, history provides a counterbalance—New Zealand have never been beaten by India in tournament encounters.
Both sides have experienced a turbulent path throughout the competition. At different stages, each team looked close to an early exit before producing strong turnarounds to secure their places in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
New Zealand’s campaign faced a setback after their defeat to England, which left their semi-final qualification uncertain and dependent on other results. Ultimately, Pakistan’s failure to register a large victory over Sri Lanka ensured the Black Caps progressed to the knockout stage.
In the semi-final, New Zealand produced an outstanding performance, defeating South Africa by nine wickets to secure their place in the final.
India’s journey mirrored a similar roller-coaster. Entering the tournament as one of the favourites, their campaign took a major hit when they suffered a 72-run loss to South Africa during the Super Eights, putting them on the brink of elimination.
However, aided by a bit of fortune and strong performances when it mattered most, India bounced back impressively, registering dominant victories over West Indies and England to book their spot in a second consecutive T20 World Cup final.
Head-to-head record between India and New Zealand in T20Is
Total Matches Played: 30
India Won: 18
New Zealand Won: 11
Tied: 1
Performance of both teams in their last 5 matches
India: W, L, W, W, W
New Zealand: W, AB, W, L, W
Squads:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson (wk), Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Devon Conway
(IANS)
