New Zealand has already surprised everyone by defeating the previously unbeaten South Africa by nine wickets to reach the final. Finn Allen’s record 33-ball century in the semi-final against South Africa has given them confidence to challenge India for their first T20 World Cup title.
“We’ve got a lot of momentum going into the weekend,” said Allen. “If we play our best cricket, we can beat anybody.”
The hosts are under huge pressure, with millions watching around the world.
India, ranked number one in T20s, is attempting to win back-to-back T20 World Cups and lift the trophy on home soil. After a tense semi-final win over England by just seven runs, Suryakumar Yadav admitted there would be nerves but said the team and support staff are excited.
India had to recover from losing their opening Super Eights match against South Africa. They bounced back by defeating Zimbabwe by 72 runs and chasing 196 against the West Indies. In the semi-final, they scored a massive 253-7 against England, with Jasprit Bumrah’s final over conceding just six runs, securing a narrow win despite Jacob Bethell’s 105.
Suryakumar praised Bumrah, saying, “We all know what he’s capable of. He raised his hand in the crucial moments and showed character to pull the game away. It was a special bowling performance.”
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India’s main concerns are opener Abhishek Sharma, who struggled with three consecutive ducks in the group stage, and spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who has taken only four wickets since the group phase and was targeted heavily by England.
New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, has been inconsistent but is hitting form at the right time. Opener Tim Seifert has scored three fifties, consistently giving a platform to Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips. “Tim is in incredible form. It makes it easy for me to sit back and enjoy,” said Allen after the semi-final.
The final promises high tension, as India aims for history while New Zealand enters as underdogs with nothing to lose.
