New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has followed the footsteps of Australian captain Pat Cummins by taking a photo of the pitch, just as Cummins did before the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final, in which Australia defeated India.
A day before the match, a picture of Mitchell Santner went viral on social media, showing him taking a photo of the pitch.
According to reports, India and New Zealand will face each other in the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad tomorrow, Sunday.
Australian captain Pat Cummins did the same before the 2023 World Cup final, in which Australia defeated India.
While inspecting the pitch a day before the match is normal, taking a photograph is seen by some as a sign of low confidence in the BCCI.
According to Indian media reports, the BCCI is providing every possible facility to ensure the success of its team.
A pitch similar to the one used in the semi-final against England is likely to be prepared to favour the Indian team.
Preparations of big clash in full swing
Meanwhile peparations for the big clash between India and New Zealand are in full swing ahead of the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The two teams will face each other for the title in Ahmedabad on Sunday, and cricket fans are expecting a thrilling encounter. India reached the final by winning a thrilling semi-final match against England.
In that match, the Indian team batted first and posted a massive total of 253 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. In response, the England batsmen fought hard but fell short by just seven runs. Meanwhile, New Zealand defeated South Africa by nine wickets in the other semi-final, dominating a one-sided match. The Kiwi team displayed excellent form by chasing down the target of 170 runs in just 12.5 overs, comfortably securing their place in the final.
Former Indian spinner Piyush Chawla, commenting on the performance of India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, said that in recent matches, he has been bowling too many full-length or very short deliveries, which has caused him difficulties. According to Chawla, Chakravarthy’s real strength lies in bowling at a hard length, where the ball bounces up to knee height, making it difficult for batsmen to play.
Read more: Why ICC T20 World Cup participating teams’ players still stranded in India?
