T20 World Cup Final: Can New Zealand pull a WWE-style heel turn in Ahmedabad?
India Today
T20 World Cup Final: For years, New Zealand won hearts for their efforts on the field, portrayed as the good guys in cricket. On March 8, they have the chance to break Indian hearts and win their first T20 World Cup title. Will the Blackcaps capitalise and pull off the biggest heel turn?
If you're a fan of WWE, you're likely familiar with the concept of a heel turn. If you're not, in simple terms, it is when a good guy becomes a bad person. Over the years, we have seen many such changes. The Rock, before he became the famous superstar that he is these days, was a happy-go-lucky wrestler who wasn't appreciated by the crowd at all. But once he took up the Brahma Bull and, most recently, the Final Boss personas, he quickly struck a chord with the fans.
India vs New Zealand, T20 World Cup Final: Preview | Updates
John Cena also pulled off a shocker when he went heel during his retirement run, which captured the imagination of the fans. Now, you may be wondering, what's the point of this in a cricket article? Well, for years, New Zealand was always considered to be the good guys of cricket. Playing the game in the right spirit and winning hearts with their spirited performances, it was rare to find the Blackcaps in the bad books of anyone.
However, this has never translated into silverware. Since 2015, the Blackcaps have made it to four white-ball finals in ICC events and have failed to win even one.
So, when a journalist asked Mitchell Santner if the Blackcaps were looking to be the bad guys on Sunday in Ahmedabad and silence the crowd, you sort of expected the usual answer from the New Zealand skipper.
You expected the media-trained response where he will say that they will look to play good cricket and hope to win.
Rohit Sharma believes India's recent success in ICC tournaments could be the start of a strong phase for the national teams. The India captain praised both men's and women's teams and hopes the winning run continues.
Suryakumar Yadav revealed how a phone call and a little faith helped Ishan Kishan stage a sensational comeback, earning him a spot in India's Men's T20 World Cup squad. Kishan capitalised on the opportunity, scoring 317 runs in nine matches.
Indian cricketer Kuldeep Yadav married his childhood friend, Vanshika Singh, on March 14 in a grand ceremony held in Mussoorie. The celebrations were even more special for Kuldeep, coming shortly after India's T20 World Cup 2026 triumph.
AIFF deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan says the federation replaced the Indian women's team's ill-fitting AFC Women's Asian Cup kits within seven hours, but the effort went unrecognised.
Pakistan national selector Aaqib Javed believes that the country and the country's cricket board need to move on from scapegoating culture to move forward in international cricket.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave in New Delhi, Abhishek Sharma revealed how his father and family helped him overcome a difficult T20 World Cup campaign, during which he battled poor form before scoring a match-winning 18-ball fifty in the final against New Zealand.
Kevin Pietersen has stepped down as Delhi Capitals mentor ahead of IPL 2026, saying he could not commit the time required, though he confirmed he will return to the commentary box during the tournament.
The PCB has denied reports that Pakistan players were fined PKR 5 million each for their T20 World Cup exit, with spokesperson Amir Mir clarifying that no penalties have been imposed, though the board is considering a performance-based accountability formula.
Salman Ali Agha has been given a reprimand and a demerit point following his outburst after the controversial run out during the second ODI against Bangladesh on Friday, March 13.
On this day on March 14, 2001, India overcame a massive first-innings deficit to script a remarkable 171-run victory against Australia in the 2001 Kolkata Test, powered by the record-breaking partnership of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman and a dominant display by Harbhajan Singh on the final day.
Rahul Dravid, Roger Binny and Mithali Raj headline the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 in New Delhi, as Indian cricket celebrates its legends and a historic run of ICC trophy wins.
Irfan Pathan believes IPL 2026 is the right time for MS Dhoni to hand over responsibilities to CSK's next generation, with Ayush Mhatre, Ruturaj Gaikwad and others ready to step up.
From a patient wait on the sidelines to leading India to back-to-back T20 World Cup glory, Suryakumar Yadav marks five years of a journey that redefined modern T20 batting.