In an exciting showdown at the T20 World Cup 2026 final, New Zealand’s captain Mitchell Santner has won the toss and chosen to bowl first at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The ‘Black Caps’ will make one adjustment to their lineup, bringing in Jacob Duffy in place of Cole McConchie.
After the toss, Santner expressed his strategy: “We decided to bowl first as we anticipate some early movement. Our aim is to restrict their formidable top order to a manageable chase. The team is buzzing for this moment; these are the experiences we live for. Reaching the semifinals has truly boosted our confidence, and performing in front of such a massive crowd is an exhilarating challenge. Every team strives to peak at the right time, and we feel we’re doing just that on this grand stage. With Jacob Duffy stepping in for Cole McConchie, we’re ready to take on this match. The pitch looks promising, and we’re eager to get started.”
Conversely, Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav stated, “We’re pleased to bat first, as it’s been successful for us in the past. This pitch resembles the red soil surface from our last game, so we’re comfortable setting the tone with our batting. In high-stakes matches like semifinals or finals, having runs on the board is always an advantage, especially with our bowlers in great form. While being the defending champions is a nice feeling, that’s history now; this is a new World Cup, even if we’re at the same venue as in 2023. The crowd is almost at full capacity before the game, which is remarkable and energizing for us. We’re sticking with the same team tonight.”
**T20 World Cup 2026 Final – Confirmed Playing XI:**
**India:** Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
**New Zealand:** Tim Seifert (WK), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (C), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.