India vs New Zealand: Fans hope for World Cup final redemption in Ahmedabad

Mumbai, India – Two years after Australia silenced more than 90,000 Indian supporters inside the Narendra Modi Stadium, the same colossal arena in Ahmedabad will stage another World Cup final, and a cricket-obsessed nation of 1.4 billion is desperate to swap heartbreak for celebration. On Sunday, Suryakumar Yadav’s India meet New Zealand in the T20 World Cup title match, offering fans a shot at erasing memories of the 19 November 2023 defeat that left the undefeated home side stunned and the stadium half-empty before the final delivery.

The scars remain fresh. Social media posts still refer to the venue as a “bad omen,” and television replays of Pat Cummins’ prescient line—“In sport, there’s nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent”—continue to sting. “The 2023 final defeat is still on our minds,” Mumbai-based supporter Sounak Biswas, 29, said. “On Sunday, I hope I can forget those bad memories and create happier ones.”

Optimism now courses through offices, living rooms and street-side cafes from Mumbai to Kolkata. Bookmakers rate India a 70 percent favourite to win, buoyed by a squad that found heroes whenever its campaign wobbled. Jasprit Bumrah’s death-over mastery, Hardik Pandya’s all-round punch, Ishan Kishan’s fearless batting and Sanju Samson’s twin Player-of-the-Match awards after being drafted into the XI have framed the hosts as the tournament’s deepest outfit.

“The Indian team is by far the best in the tournament because of the quality in the squad,” former India cricketer and TV pundit Aditya Tare said. “They showed character, picked themselves up from tough situations and finished games off.”

The route to the final was hardly serene: a scratchy start against the USA, a group-stage loss to South Africa and a semifinal scare against England tested the squad’s resolve, yet each setback was met by a new match-winner. The result is a side carrying the hopes of more than a billion people—and millions in the diaspora—into a 132,000-seat cauldron designed to amplify every boundary and wicket.

For the North Stand Gang, a hardcore fan group born at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, Sunday is a pilgrimage. Roughly 30 members, including Biswas and friend Piyush Nathani, will travel to Ahmedabad, continuing a month-long stadium-hopping journey across India and Sri Lanka. Nathani, 29, refuses to alter his ritual: “I wear the same jersey and pair of trousers for every game,” he insisted, a superstition he will maintain in the final.

Debate over the venue lingers online. Traditionalists question staging another showpiece outside cricket’s spiritual homes—Wankhede or Eden Gardens—yet supporters who attended 2023 matches praise the Narendra Modi Stadium’s crowd management and sheer scale. “Gujarat might not be the best place from a fan-atmosphere perspective, but stadium-wise it’s pretty good,” Bengaluru-based Aritra Mustafi said. “Pressure is a privilege. If 90,000 fans turn up again, it’s a privilege that so many are supporting them.”

Across the country, viewing plans are set: pubs, roadside dhabas, restaurants and electronics-storefront gatherings will host fans without streaming access. Hyderabad’s Praketh Reddy booked his ticket to Ahmedabad dreaming of a 100,000-strong chorus of Vande Mataram. “If we win, the post-match celebrations will go on late—I don’t think I’ll make it back to my hotel until about 3 a.m.!” he laughed.

For Biswas, the timing carries extra weight: the final lands a day after his birthday. “When the captain of our country lifts the trophy, it will be a dream come true,” he said. Two years after Australia broke Indian hearts on the same turf, the nation now prays the same stage will host a very different ending.