India and New Zealand have a mixed record in the ICC Knockouts, but the Kiwis have dominated 3-0 in the T20 World Cup. India will have to break this streak to defend the title in the final to be held in Ahmedabad, while New Zealand will be playing for the first trophy.
Ahmedabad: The clash between India and New Zealand in ICC knockout matches has always been exciting. India won the title by defeating the Kiwis in the final of the Champions Trophy, in which Rohit Sharma scored a brilliant half century. At the same time, India also defeated New Zealand in the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup. In that match, Mohammed Shami’s magical spell of 7 wickets broke the back of the Kiwis.
But there is another side to the coin. Earlier, the Kiwis had defeated India in the final of the ICC Test Championship. And who can forget that semi-final of the 2019 ODI World Cup, in which Dhoni’s run out and Rohit Sharma’s disappointment still pricks the hearts of the fans.
In this context, if we look at the record of India-Kiwi matches in the T20 World Cup, the story is completely one-sided. New Zealand has had the upper hand here 100%. Both the teams have met three times and New Zealand has won all three times. New Zealand defeated India by 10 runs in 2007, by 47 runs in 2016 and by 8 wickets in 2021. Now to lift the cup in Ahmedabad, India will not only have to win this match but will also have to change this old history.
The title match will start tomorrow at 7 pm in Ahmedabad. India’s only defeat in this World Cup was against South Africa in Ahmedabad itself. India defeated England by 7 runs in the semi-finals, while New Zealand defeated South Africa by 9 wickets to reach the final. While India will be trying to defend its title, New Zealand is eyeing its first trophy.
In the Indian team, everyone’s eyes will be on Malayalam stars Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah. Today the New Zealand team will practice from 2 pm to 5 pm, and the Indian team will practice from 6 pm to 9 pm. Representatives of both the teams will also participate in the press conference.