India favourites for T20 World Cup final, but how much is enough to seal the title?

T20 World Cup, IND vs NZ: Suryakumar Yadav's side will enter the final against New Zealand as favourites, with an opportunity to become the first team in the tournament history to successfully defend the title.

India will undoubtedly head into the T20 World Cup final as firm favourites. Suryakumar Yadav’s men will have the Ahmedabad crowd as their 12th man when they face Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand on Sunday, March 8, at the Narendra Modi Stadium. India will also take confidence from last year’s win over New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Final and will be hoping to repeat that success on the big stage.

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But the key question remains: how much will India need to ensure they finish on the winning side against the Black Caps? Their last two matches against the West Indies and England turned into high-scoring contests, where bowlers had to work hard as batters made the most of excellent batting surfaces. So, will the upcoming summit clash in Ahmedabad be another run-fest or will the Indian bowlers finally find some relief on the big night?

Ahmedabad has traditionally been kind to batters, with the average first-innings score standing at around 183 in the 14 T20Is played at the venue since 2012. Teams batting first have enjoyed notable success, posting an average of roughly 189, while chasing sides have averaged around 176.

The numbers underline a clear trend. Nine of the 14 T20Is at the Narendra Modi Stadium have been won by teams batting first, suggesting that setting a total has often proven advantageous.

India knows how challenging chasing can be at this venue. In their first Super 8 match of the tournament, they were bowled out for 111 while attempting to chase 188 against the Aiden Markram-led South Africa. Abhishek Sharma has been India's biggest weak point in the batting front. (Image: AP)