An insanely talented and incredibly consistent Indian cricket team will carry the weight of a nation’s hopes in its pursuit of history when it goes up against a tenacious New Zealand in a classic David versus Goliath final of the T20 World Cup here on Sunday.
On November 19, 2023, the Narendra Modi Stadium witnessed a teary-eyed and emotionally spent Rohit Sharma drag himself up the dressing-room stairs after Australia had silenced India in the ODI World Cup final. The distraught home side and a silent stadium, with 93,000 people, have carried the cross ever since, even though the T20 team somewhat made amends for that heartbreak by winning the 2024 world title under Rohit.
The shortest format team will now look to become the first side ever to defend the crown under Suryakumar Yadav and also the first to win the coveted trophy three times. Suryakumar will not only be itching to create his own legacy as captain, but will also want to put an end to the agony of November 19, 2023.
Suryakumar and his mates can draw inspiration from what happened exactly 364 days back on March 9, 2025. It was the day India beat an almost similar New Zealand side in the ICC Champions Trophy, albeit in the 50-over format. Suryakumar wasn’t a part of that side, but can always take heart from that one-sided win in Dubai.
To win a final, one needs a lot of pluck, but also can't do without a slice of luck. It need not be a perfect game, but right things need to happen at the right time. India literally won the semifinal of the ongoing showpiece when Harry Brook dropped Sanju Samson. The Men In Blue wouldn't mind such bloopers from the Opposition on Sunday.
As skipper, Suryakumar has the chance to become the first among equals to defend a world championship. He has led the side impressively for the last two years even though he has hardly walked the talk as a batter himself, especially on big days and against big nations.
But at Motera, India’s one-stop destination for all big cricketing events, India will have one of the most “loved” cricketing nations standing in its way. On a given day, a Finn Allen, a Lockie Ferguson or a Matt Henry know how to punch way above their weights. A Mitchell Santner or a Glenn Phillips know how to play the hard way without ever being ugly.
For the Black Caps, who blew away the tournament's best team South Africa in the semifinals, the biggest threat on the given day will be Jasprit Bumrah, whose four overs might once again prove to be the difference between the two sides in the final.
India's greatest fast bowler has been mostly used at the back-end of the opposition innings, but on Sunday, it would be interesting to see if he bowls first up against a rampaging Allen, who smashed a 33-ball-100 in the semifinal.
One problem that India didn’t factor in was Varun Chakravarthy's repeated failure. The element of mystery seems to have vanished. The word has spread that right-handers are playing his incoming deliveries as off-breaks or off-cutters and, against Kiwi right-handers, Chakravarthy could face trouble. Kuldeep Yadav could be a better choice as Chakravarthy's confidence has hit the nadir.
The match will start at 7 pm.
Also read: India likely to pose faith in Abhishek
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