Ahmedabad, March 8 (IANS) Ahead of the high-voltage India vs New Zealand T20 World Cup final, the atmosphere at the Narendra Modi Stadium turned electric as famous Gujarati singer Falguni Pathak, Bollywood singer Sukhbir Singh, and pop icon Ricky Martin lit up the gala night with their respective performances.

While the audience, especially the locals in the crowd, grooved to Pathak’s hit song ‘Maine Payal Hai Chhankai,’ Punjabi and Bollywood singer Sukhbir belted out his popular pop numbers, with the entire stadium joining him in singing one of his hot-shot popular ‘Oh ho ho.’

International star Ricky Martin was the top attraction of the closing ceremony. A two-time Grammy Award winner and five-time Latin Grammy Award winner, Martin brought his signature stadium energy to Ahmedabad. Known for global hits such as Livin’ la Vida Loca, She Bangs, and the iconic football anthem The Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida), Martin has defined stadium pop performances for decades and has now added the world’s biggest cricket stadium to his list of iconic venues.

Martin finished his performance with ‘María’ and ‘La Copa de la Vida’, igniting the packed stadium, especially the millennials in the crowd.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and chose to bowl first against an unchanged India in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup final at Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

The Indian team is aiming for a record third Men’s T20 World Cup title, while New Zealand seek their first. A victory for India would make them the first team to win consecutive editions and the first to lift the trophy on home soil. Notably, New Zealand have won all their matches in this tournament while chasing.

India face several challenges in the final. They have never defeated New Zealand in a Men’s T20 World Cup match, and their last two ICC white-ball losses occurred in Ahmedabad: the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia and an earlier Super Eights loss to South Africa in this tournament.

The summit clash is sure to be a contest worth watching.

–IANS

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