T20 World Cup final: India field unchanged XI, team management backs Varun
India Today
T20 World Cup Final: India have fielded an unchanged XI for the big final, backing out-of-form Abhishek Sharma and under-pressure Varun Chakravarthy. New Zealand, meanwhile, won the toss and opted to field.
India fielded an unchanged playing XI in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand, India Today has learnt. Despite rumours floating that Kuldeep Yadav and Rinku Singh might get a look-in in the summit clash, India have decided against breaking their winning combination.
Given the poor form of Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy, Rinku Singh and Kuldeep Yadav had extensive net sessions a day ahead of the final match. However, India Today has learnt that India will stick with their out-of-form players, hoping that they deliver in the final clash.
INDIA XI: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
India beat England by 7 runs in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Sent in to bat first, India scored a mammoth total of 253 runs but were given a proper scare by England batter Jacob Bethell, who scored a riveting century in the second innings.
Bethell brought England very close to the target but ended up falling short by just 7 runs, owing to a sensational spell in the death overs from Jasprit Bumrah.
On Sunday, India face New Zealand for the fourth time in the T20 World Cup. India have never beaten the Kiwis in the showpiece tournament. India will hope that the combination they have worked on over the last one and a half years helps them get over the line.
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.