AHMEDABAD: An insanely talented and incredibly consistent Indian cricket team will carry the weight of a nation's hopes in its pursuit of history when it goes up against a tenacious New Zealand in a classic David versus Goliath final of the T20 World Cup here on Sunday.
On November 19, 2023, the expansive amphitheatre called the Narendra Modi Stadium witnessed a teary-eyed and emotionally spent Rohit Sharma drag himself up the dressing-room stairs after Australia had silenced India in the ODI World Cup final.
The distraught home side and a silent stadium, with 93,000 people, have carried the cross ever since even though the T20 team somewhat made amends for that heartbreak by winning the 2024 world title under Rohit.
The shortest format team will now look to become the first side ever to defend the crown under Suryakumar Yadav and also the first to win the coveted trophy three times.
Suryakumar, a street-smart cricketer who embodies the famous Mumbai spirit, will not only be itching to create his own legacy as captain but also want to put an end to the agony of November 19, 2023.
Suryakumar and his mates can draw inspiration from what happened exactly 364 days back on March 9, 2025. It was the day India beat an almost similar New Zealand side in the ICC Champions Trophy albeit in the 50-over format.
Suryakumar wasn't a part of that side but can always take heart from that one-sided win in Dubai.
To win a final, one needs a lot of pluck but also can't do without a slice of luck. It need not be a perfect game but right things need to happen at the right time.
India literally won the semifinal of the ongoing showpiece when Harry Brook dropped Sanju Samson. The 'Men In Blue' wouldn't mind such bloopers from opposition on Sunday.
It won't be unfair to say that from draws, to venues to the tacky TV commercials and the awful social media din, this Indian team has had the rub of the green all the way till final.
If they win, it will be a job well done and nothing more. If they lose, all hell might break lose.
As skipper, Suryakumar not only has the chance to become the first among equals to defend a World Championship.
He has led the side impressively for last two years even though he has hardly walked the talk as a batter himself, especially on big days and against big nations.
He can change it all on Sunday in what will be the most defining moment of his entire career. His every failure will be summarily forgotten should he click on what is expected to be a warm evening.
But at Motera, India's one-stop destination for all big cricketing events, India will have one of the most "loved" cricketing nations standing in its way.
On a given day, a Finn Allen, a Lockie Ferguson or a Matt Henry know how to punch way above their weights.
This New Zealand team has an air of familiarity about it but the most genial assortment of players in global cricket can never be viewed with contempt.
A Mitchell Santner or a Glenn Phillips know how to play the hard way without ever being ugly.
For the Black Caps, who blew away the tournament's best team South Africa in the semi-finals, the biggest threat on the given day will be the 'Sardar from Ahmedabad'.
His name is Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah's four overs once again might prove to be the difference between the two sides in the final. England found it the hard way during its semi-final.
India's greatest fast bowler has been mostly used at the back-end of the opposition innings but on Sunday, it would be interesting to see if he bowls first up against a rampaging Allen, who smashed a 33-ball-100 in the semi-final.
Arshdeep Singh or Hardik Pandya's new ball length might just prove to be more conducive for hitting and therefore, Bumrah getting to swing it both ways up-front could be more difficult for the Kiwis.
But as Phillips had said on Friday, "Jasprit Bumrah is also a human. He can have an off day like us."
Before the T20 World Cup began, Abhishek Sharma was the toast of the nation with his pyrotechnics. Right now, there are serious doubts as to whether he deserves to be in the playing eleven.
His technical frailties and one dimensional game has been badly exposed and if he plays the final, Cole McConchie, the off-spinner might be put into action straight up.
If he is dropped, then the middle-order will be way too long and Rinku Singh also isn't in best of forms.
One problem that India didn't factor in was Varun Chakravarthy's repeated failure. The element of mystery seems to have vanished and on good batting surfaces, he doesn't have magic deliveries to trouble batters.
Around the world, the word has spread that right-handers are playing his incoming deliveries as off-breaks or off-cutters and against Kiwi right-handers, Chakravarthy could face trouble.
Kuldeep Yadav, who has played only one game in the tournament so far, could be a better choice as Chakravarthy's confidence has hit nadir.
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Cole McConchie, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Devon Conway, Jimmy Neesham, Ish Sodhi.
Match Starts: 7 pm.