Ahead of the match, former Team India cricketer Sanju Bangar feels the match-up between Team India's vice-captain Axar Patel and premier all-rounder Glenn Phillips will be interesting to watch out for
Sanjay Bangar (Pic: File Pic)
The much-anticipated final of the T20 World Cup 2026 is just a few hours shy of commencement. The title clash between Team India and New Zealand is all set to be played on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Ahead of the match, former Team India cricketer Sanju Bangar feels the match-up between Team India's vice-captain Axar Patel and premier all-rounder Glenn Phillips will be interesting to watch out for. He also explained the reason why the match-up between these two players excites him.
"The thing that works in Axar Patel's favour is that when a batter tries to sweep him, he has the ability to bowl that fuller length. We have seen that a couple of times in this World Cup. He can deceive the batter with that fuller delivery. That is one reason why the match-up between Axar and Glenn Phillips looks quite interesting," he said.
He then said that Phillips puts pressure on the opposition team from ball one, and Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav would love to hand the ball to his deputy when the New Zealander comes out to bat in Ahmedabad.
"If Axar bowls in the powerplay, some of his overs should be saved for Phillips. Phillips has taken on spin very well. Early in his career, he was seen as a pace hitter. But the improvements in his game have paid off. In Chennai, during the group stage, he smashed Rashid Khan to all parts of the ground. He put pressure from ball one. Axar has a good record against Phillips. He will look to keep him quiet. Captain Surya will love to hand the ball to Axar when Phillips comes out to bat," said Bangar.
Ahead of the match, the "Men in Blue" will heavily rely on their in-form wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson. The right-handed batsman has showcased his tremendous skills with the willow in the previous games. The contributions from lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah will also be crucial for the "Men in Blue".
On the other hand, the "Black Caps" will also expect their opening batsman Finn Allen to replicate his performance from the match against South Africa.
T20 World Cup 2026 final, IND vs NZ: Full squads
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner(c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.
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