Team India have reached the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 as they beat England by 7 runs in a high-scoring semifinal at Wankhede Stadium. Both teams batted out of their skins, and eventually, the difference was Jasprit Bumrah. Now, India have a chance to bag consecutive wins and win their third T20I title.
They will face New Zealand in the final of the tournament. This contest will be held on Sunday evening at 7 PM IST at the world's biggest venue, Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. New Zealand outpowered undefeated New Zealand. in the semifinal, courtesy of a record century by Finn Allen.
That shows that these two sides are in good batting form. New Zealand have been in India for almost three months now and have played a lot here. So, they know the strength and weaknesses of India. Similarly, having played New Zealand a lot, India will be prepared for this high-profile final. All in all, we are in for a thrilling final to conclude this tournament.
The first time when India and New Zealand met in this format was during the 2007 T20 World Cup in Johannesburg. Overall, these two sides have come up against each other 30 times. India have managed to win 18 matches, including two Super Over wins. New Zealand have won 11 games, and one match has been washed out.
In T20 World Cups, these two sides have met three times. On all three occasions, New Zealand have beaten India. So, India have yet to beat New Zealand in T20 World Cups.
Sanju Samson vs Matt Henry
Sanju Samson has become India's blue-eyed batter in the ICC T20 World Cup. His unbeaten 97 against West Indies and 89 against England are big reasons that India are in the final. With two Man of the Match awards under his belt, Samson will look to make history. With Abhishek Sharma struggling, Samson's wicket will be key.
But New Zealand will come prepared against him. Especially Matt Henry, who has developed an incredible inswinging ball, which is very hard for the right-handers. Samson has also struggled against Henry. The Indian opener has got out two times in ten balls against Henry in the recent T20I series. So, this can be a game-changing battle in the power play.
Finn Allen vs Hardik Pandya
Finn Allen smashed a 33-ball century against South Africa and powered New Zealand through to the final. He has the second-best strike rate this edition and is scoring runs for fun. His wicket will be massive for India, because if he can stay on the crease, there will be a lot of pressure on Indian bowlers.
He scores quickly against all types of bowlers. That is where India might back Hardik Pandya for a matchup. He has dismissed Allen twice in international cricket, and he himself thinks as a batter. Allen will go hard against him, but Hardik will also be prepared for this challenge.
Tim Seifert vs Jasprit Bumrah
Tim Seifert can be equally dangerous, like Finn Allen for India. He was the one that started beating South African bowlers in the semifinal and slammed a quick fifty. He is also in incredible form and showed that in the T20I series against India. His ability to play ramp and scoops makes him a difficult batter to bowl to.
That is where India need their ace bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, to come through well. Bumrah has been exceptional at every stage, and he takes much-needed wickets. Bumrah has dismissed Seifert twice in T20Is. The Kiwi opener has scored 37 runs off 31 balls of Bumrah in this battle.
Ishan Kishan vs Jacob Duffy
Ishan Kishan was unstoppable against New Zealand in the recent T20I series and emerged as the top scorer in the series. The Southpaw has also been among the runners in the ongoing tournament. New Zealand know what Ishan can do on his day, and they will hope to get back to him as early as possible.
That is where we might see Jacob Duffy coming into mix. Ishan dismantled every Kiwi bowler in the series, but his numbers against Duffy are underpar. He has only scored 25 runs off 24 balls, at a strike rate of 104.2 against him, whereas Duffy has dismissed Ishan twice already. So, both are strong competitors and will look to get over each other.
Suryakumar Yadav vs Mitchell Santner
The battle of two captains will be a must-watch in the final of the T20 World Cup. These two are match-winners in their own rights. Though Suryakumar Yadav has looked underpar in recent outings, he did well against New Zealand in the recent series and regained his form.
He knows this bowling unit and will look to take his team to the title. That is where it is important for him to cross the hurdle of Mitch Santner. The Kiwi captain has been a smart operator of the ball and has had immense success against India across formats. He has dismissed Suryakumar thrice in T20is, including two times in the recent series. So, in the middle overs, this match can define which team will be getting the edge.
