T20 WC: A Look At New Zealand’s Record In Ahmedabad Ahead Of Final

T20 WC: A look at New Zealand’s record in Ahmedabad ahead of Final (Image Source: IANS)

T20 World Cup: New Zealand are now just one win away from completing a remarkable turnaround. After suffering a disappointing group-stage exit in the 2024 edition, the BlackCaps have staged an impressive comeback at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Recording five victories and only two defeats so far, New Zealand have surged into the final and stand on the brink of securing their first-ever title.

Standing between them and that historic triumph is Team India, the very side that denied them silverware in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final exactly a year ago. As the two teams prepare to meet once again on the biggest stage, New Zealand will be eager to turn the tables and complete their redemption story.

In front of hundreds of thousands of people, two teams, India and New Zealand, will cross swords with history beckoning for both sides. Before the summit clash, let’s dissect the Kiwis’ history at the world’s largest stadium.

New Zealand have played only two matches at the venue in the T20I format and are still in search of their first-ever win in Ahmedabad, having lost both the previous encounters.

Of their two T20I games at the venue, one came during the T20 World Cup this season, when they faced South Africa in a group stage clash, where they faced their first major test against an unbeaten Proteas side.

Early aggressive plays by Marco Jansen caused problems for the opposition, reducing their score to 58/3 within the powerplay. Mark Chapman’s smooth 48 off 26 balls, combined with Daryl Mitchell’s reliable 32 from 24 deliveries, enabled the Black Caps to regain control and reach a total of 175/7.

New Zealand played their first-ever T20I at this venue in February 2023 against the hosts. India produced a commanding all-round display to crush the Kiwis by 168 runs after piling up an imposing 234/4 in 20 overs.

After losing Ishan Kishan early, India were powered by a superb unbeaten century from Shubman Gill. Gill smashed 126 off just 63 balls, striking 12 fours and seven sixes at a blistering strike rate of 200. He received strong support from Rahul Tripathi, who made a quickfire 44 off 22 balls as the pair helped India race along in the powerplay. Contributions from Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya further boosted the total, with Gill sharing a crucial 103-run partnership with Pandya.

Chasing a daunting target, New Zealand’s innings never recovered after a disastrous start that saw them slump to 7/4 inside three overs. Daryl Mitchell top-scored with 36, but wickets kept falling. Pandya led the bowling effort with 4/16, while Arshdeep Singh and Umran Malik claimed two wickets each as New Zealand were bowled out for 66 in 12.1 overs.

New Zealand’s record in Ahmedabad in T20Is:

Played: 2

Won: 0

Lost: 2

New Zealad’s record in Ahmedabad at T20 World Cup 2026:

Played: 1

New Zealad’s record in Ahmedabad at T20 World Cup 2026:

Lost: 1

Article Source: IANS