Ahmedabad, March 8 (IANS) Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir’s wife Natasha Jain has arrived in the city with daughters, Aazeen and Aaniza, ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

The title clash will be very important for Gambhir, as it is his first ICC T20 World Cup final as a head coach, and the former Indian opener would look to join the list of Rahul Dravid and Lalchand Rajput, who have won the T20 World Cup title as a coach.

Gambhir played an important role in the 2007 World Cup as he scored 75 runs off just 54 balls in the final, which helped India clinch the title by just 5 runs. He is again playing the final in a different role, but the goal remains the same: to win the trophy for the country.

Earlier, former India captain MS Dhoni also arrived in the city for the summit clash. A large crowd gathered around the airport to welcome the champion captain. Apart from that, many sportspeople and celebrities are expected to attend the final.

India have never beaten New Zealand in T20 World Cups, and they would look to end their quest with a win. This is the third ICC final in three different formats over the last six years between India and New Zealand — 2021 World Test Championship, 2025 Champions Trophy (ODI), and 2026 T20 World Cup. New Zealand have a 2-1 record over India in the ICC tournament finals; they won the Champions Trophy 2000 and World Test Championships Final 2021 before losing the Champions Trophy last year.

India have made it to the final for the fourth time in T20 World Cups, the most for any team. They have won in two out of the three appearances.

While New Zealand have never won a T20 World Cup trophy, they will look to produce another collective performance when they face India in the final, hoping to overturn the odds and clinch the title for the first time.

–IANS

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