08 March,2026 02:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The dabbawalas prayed to Lord Ganesh for the success of India national cricket team in the final match. Pic/videograb
Members of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association organised special prayers, seeking blessings for the Indian cricket team ahead of the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup on Sunday.
The dabbawalas prayed to Lord Ganesh for the success of India national cricket team in the final match.
Speaking on the occasion, Subhash Talekar, president of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association, said that both teams - India and New Zealand national cricket team - are strong contenders.
He noted that both sides have performed well throughout the tournament and have shown excellent form.
Talekar said that while the pressure of a final match is always high, the team that manages to stay calm and focused will have the best chance of winning.
According to him, the key to success will be maintaining composure and playing with a clear mind despite the pressure of the occasion.
The dabbawalas expressed confidence in the Indian team and hoped that with determination and focus, the players would overcome the pressure and bring home the trophy.
They said their prayers were for India to perform well and achieve victory in the final match.
History, of different kinds, awaits India and New Zealand on Sunday. In the blue corner are Suryakumar Yadav's men, seeking to become the first side to win the T20 World Cup thrice, the first outfit to triumph on home soil and the first nation to successfully defend the flagship event of the 20-over format.
Occupying the red - or is it the black? - corner are Mitchell Santner's admirable Black Caps, the perennial nice guys aiming for their first World Cup trophy of any ilk. The Kiwis have clinched the Champions Trophy (when it was called the ICC KnockOut Trophy) in 2000 and the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021, but a white-ball World Cup triumph has remained steadfastly elusive despite three appearances in the title round (one of them in the T20 version in 2021).
Interestingly, both of New Zealand's ICC titles have been the consequence of victories over India in the final. Santner's lads, on a grand campaign which culminated in a nine-wicket drubbing of unbeaten South Africa in Wednesday's semi-final, will be aiming for a hat-trick while being aware that less than 1% of a projected full house on Sunday at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium will be rooting for them.
- vs USA: Won by 29 runs
- vs Namibia: Won by 93 runs
- vs Pakistan: Won by 61 runs
- vs Netherlands: Won by 17 runs
- vs SA: Lost by 76 runs
- vs Zimbabwe: Won by 72 runs
- vs WI: Won by five wickets
- vs England: Won by seven runs
