New Delhi: Will India script history by becoming the first team to defend the T20 World Cup title or will New Zealand continue their strong record against the host? The answer will be out by the day end.
India will take on New Zealand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad Sunday.
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner has already announced they “don’t mind breaking a few hearts” to win their maiden T20 World Cup trophy.
His statement reminded fans of Australia captain Pat Cummins’ words before the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final: “Nothing is more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent.” Later, Australia did emerge victorious in that final and made 19 November, 2023, a haunting memory for Indian cricket fans.
History isn’t much in favour of India captain Suryakumar Yadav & team. The blackcaps have a solid track record against the host nation. They have always dominated India in T20 World Cups. The two sides have had three head-to-head encounters in the T20 World Cup, and India lost all three in 2007, 2016 and 2021.
The first meeting
India and New Zealand first faced each other in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 in South Africa. It was a group-stage match where M.S. Dhoni won the toss and asked the Kiwis to bat first.
New Zealand posted 190 runs in 20 overs. Thanks to Brendon McCullum (45), Craig McMillan (44) and Jacob Oram (35). For India, R.P. Singh and Harbhajan Singh took two wickets each.
During India’s chase, a key moment came in the 14th over when Dhoni was run out after a mix-up with Dinesh Karthik. Dhoni was run out at the non-striker’s end after scoring 24 runs. And, India eventually finished at 180/9, falling short by 10 runs.
Run-outs and Dhoni have had a painful connection, especially against New Zealand. The 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final run out still stings Indian cricket fans. Dhoni tried to steal a second run with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but a direct hit from Martin Guptill sent him back to pavilion. India eventually lost the match by 18 runs.
Embarrassing batting collapses
India and New Zealand met again in the 2016 T20 World Cup in Nagpur. Batting first, the visitors scored 126/6, which seemed like a manageable target for India, especially while playing at home.
However, India suffered a shocking collapse. Chasing 127, the team was bowled out for an embarrassing 79 runs. Dhoni (30) and Virat Kohli (23) were the top scorers.
The two teams met again in the 2021 T20 World Cup, where India once again struggled in front of New Zealand’s bowling attack. In a must-win match, India managed to score only 110/7.
India’s powerful batting unit of Virat Kohli (9), Rohit Sharma (14) and K.L. Rahul (18) collapsed. And, the Kiwis chased 111 in just 14.3 overs.
The ‘SKY factor’
While India has had a historic batting collapse in front of New Zealand’s bowling attack, there is some hope. Skipper Suryakumar is the highest run-scorer for India vs New Zealand in T20 Internationals. The Indian captain has scored 526 runs in 13 matches, including a highest score of 111 (not out).
For New Zealand, Colin Munro is the top run-scorer against India with 426 runs. However, Munro retired from international cricket in 2024. Next in line is Tim Seifert who has made 425 runs against India. Seifert is also having a standout season this time as he amassed 274 runs in 7 matches, with a 161.17 strike rate. He is in red hot form, and this includes his crucial 58-run knock off 33 balls against South Africa in the semifinal.
Among bowlers, Ish Sodhi has taken the most wickets for New Zealand against India in T20Is, with 30 wickets in 25 matches. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner is second with 23 wickets.
For India, Arshdeep Singh leads the wicket-taking charts against New Zealand in T20Is with 17 wickets in 9 matches, followed by Jasprit Bumrah, who has 16 wickets in 14 matches.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)