Piyush Chawla: India must keep emotions in check ahead of T20 World Cup final
India are preparing to face New Zealand in the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup on Sunday, with expectations rising as the hosts aim to lift the trophy on home soil.
Mitchell Santner: New Zealand aim to 'silence' India's home support in T20 WC final
The match at the Narendra Modi Stadium is set to draw over 100,000 fans, creating a high-pressure environment for the home side.
The Kiwis have a mixed history in white-ball finals, having reached the 2021 T20 World Cup final only to lose to Australia, and they have never claimed a white-ball World Cup title.
Their journey to this final has been inconsistent, with early defeats to South Africa and England highlighting their unpredictability.
However, New Zealand bounced back emphatically in the semi-finals, defeating South Africa by nine wickets, with Finn Allen smashing the fastest century in T20 World Cup history.
India arrive in strong form, riding a three-match winning streak and seeking to capitalise on home advantage.
Memories of 2023 loom large, when Australia, led by Pat Cummins, overcame India in the ODI World Cup final at the same venue, silencing the home crowd.
"I wouldn't mind winning a trophy," Santner said.
"It's going to be obviously a challenge where everyone knows we're probably not the favourites.
"But yeah, I wouldn't mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy for once."
He added: "I guess that's the goal, is to silence the crowd.
"T20 cricket is fickle at times. We've seen South Africa playing very good cricket all the way through and then had a little hiccup against us and out.
"So I think for us, it's taking confidence from that and if we go about our business the same way, we can upset another big team."
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