New Zealand Win Toss and Choose to Bowl First in T20 World Cup Final Against India

The T20 World Cup Final toss went New Zealand’s way as they elected to bowl first against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

The decision sets up a high-stakes contest as India look to defend their T20 World Cup title while New Zealand aim to claim their first crown in the tournament.

Playing XIs

Both teams announced strong line-ups for the final.

India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah.

New Zealand: Tim Seifert (w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson and Jacob Duffy.

Head-to-head record

India and New Zealand have faced each other 30 times in T20 internationals. India lead the overall head-to-head with 18 wins compared to New Zealand’s 11, while one match ended in a tie.

However, the Blackcaps have historically held the upper hand in T20 World Cup meetings between the two sides.

Head-to-head record:

Matches: 30
India: 18
New Zealand: 11
Tie: 1

In T20 World Cup history, New Zealand have won all three previous encounters against India.

Form guide

Both teams arrive in the final with strong recent form.

India have lost just once in the tournament so far, with that defeat coming against South Africa. They secured their place in the final after defeating England by seven runs in the semi-final.

New Zealand also suffered two defeats earlier in the tournament, losing to South Africa in the group stage and to England in the Super Eight. However, they responded emphatically by defeating South Africa by nine wickets in the semi-final.

Recent results

India: W, W, W, L, W (most recent first)
New Zealand: W, L, W, NR, W

With the toss completed and the line-ups confirmed, the stage is set for a thrilling ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final in Ahmedabad.

Check out our match preview here.