T20 World Cup Final | IND vs NZ Playing 11, Pitch and weather updates

India had two absolute machines in their batting and bowling lineups going into this T20 World Cup. Varun Chakaravarthy was unplayable since his return to the squad after excorcising the demons that chased him in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Abhishek Sharma was seemingly superhuman in his ability to keep hitting sixes and fours every time he swung the bat. And yet, in this tournament, it is Chakaravarthy and Abhishek who have almost consistently failed to fire. Chakaravarthy at least had good outings against the lower-ranked teams but was taken apart by the likes of South Africa and England. Abhishek's scores in this tournament read 0, 0, 0, 15, 55, and 9.

Now the New Zealand cricket team may be starved of world titles but that simply doesn't apply to the All Blacks, the country's famed men's rugby side. The winners of the Rugby World Cup in 1987, 2011 and 2015 and holders of the No.1 spot in the world rankings for longer than any other side, the All Blacks have lent their support to the BlackCaps today.

Our man Devendra Pandey says that India will be changing nothing going into this final. It means Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakaravarthy will be in the eleven despite concerns over their form. Read more HERE.

At least that is what South Africa legend Dale Steyn feels. Understandably eager to get rid of the "chokers" tag that has followed his team everywhere, Steyn argued in a podcast with fellow Proteas legend and former teammate AB de Villiers that New Zealand have been in more finals that South Africa have and still not won a World Cup yet.

"Let's be honest here. Everyone likes to call South Africa chokers, but I am going to say it. New Zealand haven't won many World Cups themselves, and they have been in more finals than we have. So, no offence, New Zealand, but please go on to win this," Steyn said in a chat with AB de Villiers on the latter's YouTube channel.

"Otherwise, I am formally handing over that card to you; it's yours."

This is what Sunil Gavaskar had to say about Abhishek Sharma on India Today: "It’s a very tough call. Abhishek Sharma is the No. 1 batter in the ICC T20 rankings, but he hasn’t learned from his dismissals. He keeps getting out in the same region where his arms are cramped for room. Bowlers are targeting that area and forcing mistakes. My concern is that he either hasn’t adjusted yet or is unable to change his approach."

“I would like to see Ishan Kishan open the batting with Sanju Samson, with Rinku Singh coming into the side. Rinku has that belief—you’ve probably seen the ‘God’s Plan’ tattoo on his body—and sometimes things just work out for players like him,” remarked Gavaskar.

South Africa cricketers Quinton de Kock and David Miller have lashed out at the International Cricket Council (ICC) for England leaving India before the Proteas or the West Indies despite being eliminated later from the T20 World Cup. The Iran War has complicated international travel with the global transit hub of Dubai being affected by the war.

De Kock and Miller were angered by the fact that England players and staff left for home on Saturday evening via a direct charter flight to London. This was just two days after their exit from the T20 World Cup at the hands of India in the semi-final. Meanwhile, South Africa and West Indies, who were eliminated from the T20 World Cup before England are still in India. READ MORE.

Suryakumar Yadav and Mitchell Santner had a little verbal joust before the big one. They didn't come face to face and start dissing at each other, of course. Instead, they said a few things with smiles on their faces to show that neither nor their teams are on any kind og shaky grounds ahead of this big match.

But the follow-up came quickly. What would India do differently this time? How would they avoid repeating the mistakes of that scarring night?

The India captain didn’t dodge it. “Be courageous in tough situations — that’s the message to the players.” The line lingered on an evening where Yadav moved effortlessly between moods: cracking the odd joke, turning reflective, momentarily softening when speaking about his family, and then snapping back to a poker face when the questions turned to selections and tactics.

Five hours earlier, in the same chair and under the same lights, Mitchell Santner had offered a line of his own. “I wouldn’t mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy for once,” the New Zealand captain said with a grin.

There were no staredowns. No verbal jabs. No mind games. Just two captains comfortable in their own skin, and utterly convinced about the teams they lead.

After the frenetic batting displays in the semi-finals, another belter greeted India and New Zealand on the eve of the T20 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. But for once, it doesn’t simplify the equations for either side. Read more from Lalith Kalidas HERE.

With 13 wickets, Varun is tied for most in the tournament. But through the Super 8 stage, he’s looked far from the menacing bowler he was in the lead-up. His performance against England — 64 runs in four overs — means Kuldeep Yadav will be part of India’s discussions going into the final, The Indian Express understands. Read more from Venkata Krishna B HERE.

The Indian Express understands the track has been prepared with the occasion firmly in mind: a surface where the game’s biggest stars can express themselves, and where conditions don’t become the story.

It will be the same pitch on which South Africa posted 213 for 5 against Canada in the league stage, a game that underlined what this surface offers — free-flowing strokeplay, true bounce, and a contest where batting isn’t a battle against conditions.

The choice of red-dominant soil is deliberate. Black soil pitches, by their nature, can be unforgiving for batsmen. Read more from Devendra Pandey HERE.

Well, here we go again! About two and a half years ago, it was Australia and Pat Cummins who were relishing the idea of silencing the masses at the Narendra Modi Stadium before the 2023 World Cup final, and then savouring the satisfaction of doing exactly that. Now, it is Australia's gentile trans-Tasman neighbours who are looking forward to doing the same thing. Mitch Santner knows how the Indian crowd works. He has seen how quiet they can get when he played a central role in New Zealand's stunning Test series win in India in late 2024 that left the hosts' proud home record in tatters and their fans in shock. At the same time, he also knows that things won't get too nasty. Regardless of how many times India may have suffered heartbreak at the hands of the BlackCaps in big tournaments, Indian fans can't help but look at them with admiration and adoration. Well, that is pretty much the case with any cricket fan in the world really, New Zealand make themselves very hard to hate. And so will Suryakumar Yadav's men, who had been rightly touted outright favourites to win this tournament long before it started, get past the big-tournament-big-match shocks India usually get against New Zealand? Or will the BlackCaps prevail and notch up what could be the most significant victory in their cricket history outside of the 2021 WTC win? We will find out at the end of the day today!