Pressure on India to make T20 World Cup history? 'Only one team can fail'

Ahmedabad — A sea of more than 100,000 fans is expected to turn the Narendra Modi Stadium into a blue-and-silver cauldron on Sunday as India attempt to do what no men’s side has ever managed: defend the T20 World Cup. Standing in their way are New Zealand, a side accustomed to slipping under the radar and, as Glenn Phillips dryly observed, acutely aware that “only one team can fail” when the trophy is hoisted at 1.30pm local time.

The hosts arrive as clear favourites, having swept January’s five-match T20I series 4-1 and rebounded from a record tournament defeat to South Africa on 22 February with back-to-back Super 8 wins and a high-octane semi-final triumph over England. Victory here would make Rohit Sharma’s outfit the first three-time champions in the competition’s history and the first to retain the crown.

Yet history also carries scars. The same venue staged India’s heartbreak in the 2023 50-over World Cup final, when a dominant campaign ended in a six-wicket loss to Australia. “It’s redemption time in a way,” former India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik told Sky Sports. “They were flawless all the way to that final and then had one bad day.”

New Zealand, meanwhile, have built a reputation for peaking when least expected. “Every time in a multi-nation tournament they have made a mark and punch above their weight,” Karthik noted. Nasser Hussain echoed the caution: “All the focus will be on India. New Zealand will rock up and play their best cricket. Do not write them off in any format.”

The pitch in Ahmedabad has already produced some of the tournament’s highest scores, setting the stage for another run-fest. Phillips insisted the Black Caps will embrace the hostility. “A packed crowd is fantastic. We play to entertain the people, whether they support us or India.”

For India, the equation is stark: win and enter uncharted territory as back-to-back champions; lose and relive the agony of 2023. For New Zealand, the underdog tag is familiar territory, but the prize—a first global T20 title—has never been closer. As Karthik put it: “A mouth-watering contest between a defending champion and a team that has always been the bridesmaid, not the bride.”

The final is live on Sky Sports Cricket from 12.30pm, first ball at 1.30pm.