Cricketing giants India and New Zealand will battle it out for the T20 World Cup trophy on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
While the Men in Blue have lifted the coveted trophy twice before, New Zealand will be aiming to become the T20 World Cup champions for the first time.
Match Preview
India defeated the United States, Namibia, Pakistan and Netherlands to finish the group stage with a perfect record.
However, South Africa halted their momentum with a thumping 76-run victory in their first Super Eight match.
India bounced back with a dominant win against Zimbabwe, then sealed a semi-final berth by edging the West Indies in a winner-takes-all encounter in Kolkata.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led side posted a mammoth 253 total in Thursday’s semi-final against England.
The Three Lions made a commendable effort to chase the target, but ultimately fell short by seven runs despite Jacob Bethell’s sensational century.
New Zealand are also peaking just at the right time.
Their journey to the semi-final was far from smooth sailing, with the Kiwis losing their crucial Super Eight fixture to England by four wickets.
But New Zealand’s place in the final four was confirmed after Pakistan failed to beat Sri Lanka by a big margin.
The Black Caps were a completely different side in the semi-final against South Africa, as they crushed the tournament favourites by nine wickets.
Finn Allen was at his destructive best, with the right-hander smashing the fastest T20 World Cup century.
Team News
India will likely be hesitant to tinker with a winning combination, but Kuldeep Yadav could be featured for the high-stakes match in Ahmedabad.
Varun Chakaravarthy has taken crucial wickets in the tournament, but the mystery spinner conceded 64 runs in four overs in Thursday’s win over England.
As for New Zealand, they are likely to feature the same team that defeated South Africa on Wednesday.
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry.
India vs New Zealand prediction
Sanju Samson is currently in the form of his life, scoring two match-winning knocks against West Indies and England. Meanwhile, Bumrah has also been performing at his best.
New Zealand can spring a surprise at the Narendra Modi Stadium, but India are more likely to win the high-stakes encounter on Sunday.
