.png)
13 hours ago
6
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
11th over: New Zealand 103-5 (Mitchell 15, Santner 12) Mitchell smokes Arshdeep for a couple of sixes. Later in the over Arshdeep flings the ball back at Mitchell, who is well wide of the stumps at the time. Mitchell is really angry; Arshdeep spins on his heels and ignores him.
The India captain Suryakumar walks up to Mitchell, apologises and shakes his hand – as does Arshdeep at the end of the over. Nothing to see here.
10th over: New Zealand 88-5 (Mitchell 2, Santner 11) New Zealand nee- ah, forget it.
“Should something be done about a format that, at its inception, had one of the finalists turn up to play an international in fancy dress?” wonders Niall Mullen. “Predictably, a fun diversion has come to dominate because of the money involved. Yet again we must remind ourselves that sport doesn’t exist to make money but makes money because it exists*.
“*Obviously I’m not naïve enough to actually think we aren’t 100 miles past this in the hypercapitalist world of modern sport.”
I’m not sure how to answer, except maybe by channelling my inner Roy Keane. If you want fun, go to the circus, etc.
9th over: New Zealand 83-5 (Mitchell 1, Santner 7) New Zealand get four byes when a googly from Varun beats everyone. Santner gets off the mark with a deliberate slice for four.
WICKET! New Zealand 72-5 (Seifert c Kishan b Varun 52)
Varun Chakravarthy gets in on the act! Seifert pumps a short delivery towards deep midwicket, where Kishan takes a brilliant solo relay catch. He grabbed the ball with both hands, threw it up in the air as he staggered close to the boundary and then changed direction to pouch it a second time. Seifert did everything he could, hitting five sixes, but it was never going to be enough.
8th over: New Zealand 72-4 (Seifert 52, Mitchell 1) The new batter is Daryl Mitchell. The required rate is now above 15.
WICKET! New Zealand 70-4 (Chapman b Pandya 3)
Four wickets down, six to go. Chapman drags a wide one from Pandya onto the stumps to end a forgettable cameo of 3 from 8 balls.
Seifert blasts 23-ball fifty!
7th over: New Zealand 68-3 (Seifert 50, Chapman 2) One of the few disappointments for India in this competition has been the form of Varun Chakravarthy at the business end. His first over is manhandled for 16, including two meaty sixes over long-on from Seifert. The second of those sixes brings up a punishing, defiant half-century from 23 balls.
“Something needs to be done to this format,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “This is just like watching the highlights at 3x speed.”
6th over: New Zealand 52-3 (Seifert 35, Chapman 1) Bumrah turns the screw by conceding only five runs from his second over.
A penny for South Africa’s thoughts. They hammered India, who are now hammering the New Zealand side that hammered South Africa in the semi-finals.
5th over: New Zealand 47-3 (Seifert 31, Chapman 0) Seifert slog-swept another belting six earlier in that Axar over. But he’s all alone on the burning deck
WICKET! New Zealand 47-3 (Phillips b Axar 5)
Axar strikes again! Phillips mows all around a straight one and is bowled, a classic Axar dismissal. New Zealand’s batters effectively won the semi-final inside the Powerplay; today the boot is on the other foot.
4th over: New Zealand 36-2 (Seifert 22, Phillips 1) The required rate is already 13.81 per over.
WICKET! New Zealand 32-2 (Ravindra c Kishan b Bumrah 1)
India use their cheat code to devastating effect. Just as in the semi-final, Jasprit Bumrah has started his spell with a slower ball and taken a wicket. Ravindra spooned it high towards deep backward square, where Ishan Kishan charged in and took a fantastic low catch. Even without Bumrah, India would almost certainly be too good. With him…
3rd over: New Zealand 32-1 (Seifert 20, Ravindra 1)
WICKET! New Zealand 31-1 (Allen c Tilak b Axar 9)
Finn Allen doesn’t have a great record against left-arm spin, so Axar Patel is going to get an early bowl. The tactic works straight away: after munching a bounday down the ground, Allen picks out Tilak Varma at long-on. That’s a big wicket.
2nd over: New Zealand 25-0 (Seifert 20, Allen 4) Hardik Pandya’s first over disappears for 21. Tim Seifert gets off the mark with back-to-back sixes, a mighty pull and an outrageous fall-forward scoop. A length outswinger is battered past mid-off for four, and he finishes the over by almost taking Hardik’s noggin off with another ferocious boundary. New Zealand won’t die wondering.
“The only parallel challenge I can think of is Uruguay winning the football World Cup against Brazil in the Maracanã in 1950,” says Paul Griffin. “Brazil were leading at half way then too, but I just can’t see it.”
Who’s the Kiwi Ghiggia?
1st over: New Zealand 4-0 (Seifert 0, Allen 3) Finn Allen, who blasted that amazing century in the semi-final, is dropped second ball on nought! He launched Arshdeep a million miles in the air and was put down by Dube, who was backpedalling desperately – I’m not sure which fielding position he was in – and barely laid a hand on the ball. That was a pretty tough chance because it went so high. Dube has gone off the field to receive treatment.
New Zealand will want a fast start but they should also remember that India scored 12 off the first two overs, then 191 off the next 13.
“This final reminds me of the 2003 ODI WC final - Aus vs India,” writes Sujit. “My favourite Indian white-ball team (still), doing so well till the final and then deciding to bowl first. Getting monstered by the all-timer from Ponting. No shame in getting beaten by that team but still, the memories are still there…”
That’s a great comparison. Australia’s score of 359 for 2 from 50 overs felt like something from another planet. A few months later, English cricket introduced an experiment called Twenty 20.
Here come the players. New Zealand have two chances of victory, and slim’s whereabouts are unknown.
New Zealand need 256 to win
20th over: India 255-5 (Tilak 8, Dube 26) India did well to reach 250. It was thanks to Shivam Dube, who pummelled 24 from Neesham’s final over. It started when Santner dropped a very tough diving chance at long-off, then accidentally headbutted the ball for four as he fell to earth.
Dube pulled a massive six, drove another over extra cover and pulled a one-bounce four round the corner. He turned down a single off the penultimate ball, then justified that decision by slapping four more through extra cover.
Dube finishes with 26 not out from 8 balls. India have scored 508 in 40 overs across the semi-final and final of a World Cup. And New Zealand need another 33-ball hundred from Finn Allen.
19th over: India 231-5 (Tilak 8, Dube 2) This has been an admirable fightback from New Zealand, who have taken four for 28 in the last four overs. At one stage India looked on course to make 300; now they’ll do well to reach 250.
WICKET! India 226-5 (Pandya c Santner b Henry 18)
Pandya calls for some magic spray between overs – not for an injury, but to improve his grip on the bat. It seems to work when he smears a full toss for six. But then he top-edges the next delivery high in the air and is taken by Santner. Pandya, who couldn’t get going at all, made 18 from 13 balls.
18th over: India 220-4 (Pandya 12, Tilak 5) Neesham, on a hat-trick from the previous over, is driven safely to mid-off by Pandya. No hat-trick but every dot ball is precious.
Pandya and Varma are struggling to time the ball, maybe trying a bit too hard. Pandya eventually gets his first boundary with a slap towards cow corner that just evades the flying Phillips. Not even he could turn that into a catching opportunity.
17th over: India 211-4 (Pandya 4, Tilak 4) Almost another wicket when Varma is dropped by Allen, a tough low chance at backward point off Duffy. Allen has hurt his thumb, which is already heavily strapped.
A good over for New Zealand, seven from it. If they can keep India to 240…
“How many is enough?” writes Stuart Webb. “Clearly declaration batting by India now, so call ‘em in at the end of the 18th over?”
16th over: India 204-4 (Pandya 1, Tilak 0) Jimmy Neesham conceded one run and took three wickets in that over, which may represent the biggest outlier in cricket history.
India’s hopes of reaching 300 are hanging by a thread.
WICKET! India 204-4 (Suryakumar c Ravindra b Neesham 0)
This is bonkers. For 15 overs the ball disappeared to all parts, and now Jimmy Neesham has taken three wickets in six balls! Suryakumar scooped his first ball towards fine leg, where Rachin Ravindra took a quite brilliant running catch.
WICKET! India 204-3 (Kishan c Chapman b Neesham 54)
Another full toss, another wicket! Kishan tries to hit a low full toss down the ground, one hand coming off the bat, and this time Mark Chapman takes the catch.
WICKET! India 203-2 (Samson c sub b Neesham 89)
Sanju Samson misses out on a century. He muscled a full toss from Neesham down the ground and was smartly caught on the boundary by the substitute Cole McConchie. But my goodness, what a week it’s been for Samson:
-
97 not out from 50 balls v West Indies
-
89 from 42 v England
-
89 from 46 v New Zealand
15th over: India 203-1 (Samson 89, Kishan 54) Kishan slog-sweeps Santner for six before driving a single to reach a brilliant 23-ball fifty. In some ways his has been the best innings of the three; I can barely recall a false stroke.
He hits four more down the ground to bring up the 200. Santner finishes with excellent – no, really – figures of 4-0-33-0. This is preposterous.
“I’m here Rob, but I’m speechless,” writes Alistair Connor. “Final against India in India... forget about winning. But the chase, though futile, will be fun.”
Ah, but Travis Head didn’t forget about winning. I guess Pat Cummins’ decision to bowl paid off that day, though the circumstances and conditions were a bit different.
India’s score is already the highest in a T20 World Cup final. There are six overs remaining.
Drinks: India smash 191 in the first 14 overs
14th over: India 191-1 (Samson 88, Kishan 43) Samson drives Ravindra sweetly down the ground for six and finds the experience sufficiently rewarding that he hits the next two for six as well: a pull into the crowd at cow corner and a gorgeous drive inside-out over wide mid-off. This is now the highest score in a T20 World Cup final; Samson needs 12 more to reach the first century. If Kishan doesn’t get there first.
“Nothing much to say,” says Mark Dawson, “except ‘blimey’.”
13th over: India 171-1 (Samson 69, Kishan 42) If only David Lynch was still with us, he could make a great short film about Mitchell Santner, a fever dream and the words ‘We’ll have a bowl’. I guess we’d have to explain cricket to him, but it’d be worth it.
New Zealand are powerless to stop India. Kishan clatters a stunning six over midwicket off Henry, who recovers pretty well to concede only four singles from the last four balls. Ten from the over. You know you’re in trouble as a fielding side when a double-figure over feels like respite.
“I’m trying to enjoy this, and credit to the Indians, they are extraordinary,” writes Bernard Hughes. “But it’s just too easy for these players to hit the ball for six. Even the leading edge flew into the crowd. I’ve been a cricket lover all my life, but I just can’t enjoy this kind of stuff.”
12th over: India 161-1 (Samson 67, Kishan 33) Seriously, folks, 300 is on here. Samson pulls and drives Ferguson for successive sixes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Kishan rocks back to hammer another six over mid-on. And finally, a cute video about a cat Samson muscles four more over mid-off.
Lockie Ferguson’s figures are grisly as all hell: 2-0-48-0. Both overs went for 24, so you can insert your own joke about consistency here.
11th over: India 137-1 (Samson 50, Kishan 27) Kishan nails the first big shot off Santner, slog-sweeping lustily over midwicket for six. The man Kishan replaced had just smashed the fastest fifty of the World Cup, yet Kishan looks in even better nick!
Sanju Samson has looked in glorious touch at the business end of the World Cup, and he drives a single to reach a lovely 33-ball fifty. In the last eight days he’s made a half-century in a de facto quarter-final, an actual semi-final and now a final. If this isn’t the best week of his career, I’d like to know what is.
Here’s more on that legendary victory in 1983
10th over: India 127-1 (Samson 48, Kishan 19) Jimmy Neesham’s second ball is very close to a perfect fifth-stump yorker; Samson nonchalantly opens the face to steer four past the man at short third. That’s an outrageous stroke. Kishan slaps a cut for four more.
When India won their first white-ball World Cup, in 1983, they scored 183 in 54.4 overs. Today they’ve smashed 127 in 10.
9th over: India 115-1 (Samson 41, Kishan 14) Santner leads by example with another excellent over – five singles, one dot ball. India aren’t quite seeing him off but they are playing him with more respect than the other bowlers.
8th over: India 110-1 (Samson 38, Kishan 12) The new batter Ishan Kishan gets off to a flyer, hitting 12 from his first five balls – and it would have been 16 but for two superb pieces of fielding. The two boundaries Kishan did manage were beautiful strokes, a back-foot wave through midwicket and a classy steer past short third. India’s fearlesness with the bat is terrifying.
WICKET! India 98-1 (Abhishek c Seifert b Ravindra 52)
Rachin Ravindra strikes first ball! Abhishek chases a very wide delivery – it would have been called wide – and gets a very thin edge that is smartly taken up to the stumps by Tim Seifert.
A frustrating end for Abhishek, but that was a fantastic innings in the context of the game and especially his poor form: 52 from 21 balls with six fours and three sixes.
7th over: India 98-0 (Samson 38, Abhishek 52) Santner brings himself on in an attempt to restore something resembling order. And he does, conceding just six from the over. Four of them came from a classy back cut by Samson.
“Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I know nothing, but I’m a bit surprised that NZ chose to bowl first. Of course they’ll be hoping to restrict India to something chaseable, but runs on the board, scoreboard pressure etc. If India post 250+, NZ will be up against it I reckon, despite what they did to SA in the semi final...”
I love New Zealand, want to live there, and I love Mitch Santner, but bowling first required an dangerously big leap of faith.
Every cricketer dreams of playing in a World Cup final. But when Jacob Duffy got the nod ahead of Cole McConchie, a small part of him must have feared something like this: he has figures of 2-0-35-0.
Abhishek’s half-century, by the way, is the fastest at this World Cup.
Abhishek smashes an 18-ball fifty!
6th over: India 92-0 (Samson 33, Abhishek 51) Abhishek edges Duffy for four, wallops six down the ground, launches four over square leg. Chapman charged back, tried nobly to take an impossible diving catch and only succeeded in knocking the ball over the boundary.
Another mighty clout over midwicket for four brings up a remarkable 18-ball fifty for Abhishek, whose miserable tournament is a thing of the past. Before today he’d made 89 runs from nine innings, but now his 2026 World Cup will be remembered for a coruscating assault in the final.
5th over: India 72-0 (Samson 33, Abhishek 31) Mitchell Santner’s decision to give India first use of a road already looks highly questionable. Scoreboard pressure helped South Africa beat India earlier in this tournament, and it should have helped New Zealand beat England in the 2019 ODI final. Psychologically, especially when conditions are this good, batting first surely makes more sense.
It’s too late now and New Zealand are in all sorts. Santner goes back to Matt Henry, who starts with four wides in his first six balls. Abhishek blasts a slower ball over long-off for six, Samson hooks into the crowd for six more. India have scored 60 off the last three overs. They could get 300 here.
4th over: India 51-0 (Samson 24, Abhishek 23) The carnage has begun. Lockie Ferguson’s first over disappears for 24, most of them scored behind square. Abhishek hacked four over the keeper before driving a magnificent six inside-out over extra cover. Samson got a leading edge that flew over the third boundary for six, watched a couple of leg-side wides and then flicked four past short fine leg.
3rd over: India 27-0 (Samson 14, Abhishek 12) Matt Henry is replaced by Jacob Duffy after only one over. The gamble doesn’t pay off, with Duffy’s first over costing 15.
Abhishek larruped two fours over the top before hitting another big shot just short of Phillips at deep square leg. Samson finished the over with an imperious drive over mid-off for four.
2nd over: India 12-0 (Samson 9, Abhishek 3) With Cole McConchie left out of the side today, New Zealand give the new ball to the occasional offspinner Glenn Phillips. It’ll be interesting to see how Abhishek, who has had such a difficult tournament, goes about his innings.
He gets off the mark by driving his third ball for a single, then plays a sweet drive that is brilliantly stopped on the long-off boundary by Mitchell. That saved two runs.
1st over: India 7-0 (Samson 7, Abhishek 0) Matt Henry has a big LBW appeal against Samson turned down second ball. Mitchell Santner calmly signals an inside-edge to nip any discussion of a review in the bud. Replays show he was right.
After four dot balls, Henry drops fractionally short and is carted effortlessly over mid-on for six. How’s that for a first scoring stroke in a World Cup final?
Matt Henry will open the bowling to the in-form Sanju Samson and the out-of-form Abhishek Sharma. Let’s play!
MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, India’s T20 World Cup-winning captains in 2007 and 2024, bring the trophy onto the field ahead of the national anthems. It’s almost time for the 2026 final to begin.
One New Zealand cricketer already has reason to remember Sunday 8 March 2026: Central Districts seamer Brett Randell took five wickets in five balls against Northern Districts, the first time that has ever happened in a first-class match.
Team news
India are unchanged. New Zealand bring in a seamer, Jacob Duffy, for a spinner, Cole McConchie.
India Abhishek, Samson (wk), Kishan, Suryakumar (c), Tilak, Hardik, Dube, Axar, Arshdeep, Varun, Bumrah.
New Zealand Seifert (wk), Allen, Ravindra, Phillips, Chapman, Mitchell, Santner (c), Neesham, Duffy, Henry, Ferguson.
New Zealand win the toss and bowl
“It looks a pretty good pitch – I think there will be a lot of runs in it,” says Mitchell Santner. “We know India have a powerful line-up so we’ll try and restrict them to a chaseable score.”
Suryakumar Yadav says India would have batted first, as they did to adequate effect against England on Wednesday.
Simon Burnton
The Narendra Modi Stadium is a spectacular, enormous dome, the largest cricket ground in the world. Tonight it will contain 130,000 people, the vast majority clad in India’s blue, and one ghost that terrifies them all.
This was supposed to be the site of India’s coronation as 50-over world champions in November 2023. But on an awkward surface, later rated average by the International Cricket Council, their batters struggled and Australia beat them comfortably.
Just 28 months later India return to play another World Cup final, in a different format, and seeking a very different outcome. “The circle has come to the same stadium that we left in 2023,” said Suryakumar Yadav. “Of course there are nerves. There will be butterflies in the stomach. But if there’s no pressure there’s no fun. So I’m very excited, and I’m sure the whole of India is excited.”
Preamble
After 29 days, 53 matches, 685 wickets, 753 sixes, seven centuries and two Super Overs, it’s time for the T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand. One take on the tournament is that 29 days, 53 matches etc. is a helluva lot of cricket just to find out who plays India in the final. Another is that, for reasons too many and varied to detail in a humble preamble, this has been among the most enjoyable T20 World Cups of all.
How we ultimately remember the competition will be partly shaped by what happens in Ahmedabad this afternoon. An Indian victory feels predictable, even that is unfair to both teams. A New Zealand win – which would be their first in a men’s World Cup after three finals defeats in 2015, 2019 and 2021 – would be the choice of many neutrals and most romantics.
India can also make history by becoming the first team to retain the men’s T20 World Cup and the first to win it three times. Victory today would also give them three ICC white-ball tournaments in a row, following the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and last year’s Champions Trophy.
It’s easy to think it’s easy when a team has as much talent as India, but it’s not. The last World Cup final to be played in Ahmedabad, when the chutzpah of Travis Head silenced an entire country, was a reminder of that. Whoever wins the World Cup will have earned it – not just today, but throughout the last month.
