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 singer Falguni Pathak lit up the gala night with her iconic hit “Maine Payal Hai Chhankai” ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

Punjabi singer Sukhbir Singh belted out his popular Punjabi pop numbers while international star Ricky Martin was the top attraction of the closing ceremony.

Thousands of fans inside the world’s largest cricket stadium sang along and waved the tricolour as Pathak’s performance kicked off the pre-final celebrations.

India head into the final against New Zealand with a slight edge. Playing at home, carrying the tag of defending champions, and coming off recent bilateral wins against the Kiwis, India appear to have momentum on their side. However, history provides a counterbalance—New Zealand have never been beaten by India in tournament encounters.

India and New Zealand have faced each other 30 times in T20Is, out of which the men in blue have won 18 games, while the Black Caps have come victorious on only 11 occasions.

India will aim to create history by becoming the only team with three T20 World Cup trophies.

India have never beaten New Zealand in T20 World Cups, and they would look to end their quest for the win. This is the third ICC finals 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.

While New Zealand has 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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