India and New Zealand are set to face each other in the
final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST, with over 1,30,000 fans expected to watch the game live from the world’s biggest cricket ground.

Ahead of the much-awaited clash, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan spoke exclusively to Rupha Ramani of Firstpost and shared his views on the pressure of playing a World Cup final, Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy, Jasprit Bumrah’s impact, and the threat posed by New Zealand in the final.

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Pathan also gave his prediction for the final and explained why the contest could be extremely close.

‘Playing a World Cup final is huge’

Speaking about the pressure of playing in a World Cup final, Pathan said, “There is a lot of pressure. It’s so much pressure. I think the fans got a little bit of an idea during the semi-finals about what knockout games are all about. But winning the World Cup final is a big thing, a huge thing.”

“There are so many things that can go wrong, and that is why not many teams have won the World Cup back-to-back. India are the defending champions and a very good side as well. But this is a T20 game, and this format allows the other team to come very close to a strong side. That generally happens. So it’s going to be a huge game in front of a huge crowd. Playing a World Cup at home, it hits you different,” he added.

Pathan praises Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy

Pathan also spoke highly of India captain Suryakumar Yadav and said he does not get enough credit for his leadership. “I think his record as a captain has been outstanding. It has been wonderful. I have been saying this since the start of the World Cup, actually even before the tournament began, that we do not celebrate Suryakumar Yadav as a captain enough. We need to appreciate him much more than we currently do.”

“Just look at his record – he has close to a 90 percent win rate when he has captained the side. That is not easy in T20 cricket. In this format, you are always going to make mistakes and lose some games because many matches are very close.

Keeping calm as a leader is very important, and Surya has managed that really well under pressure. I also really like the way he manages players off the field. If you go into the details, you will see how he keeps the team active on social media and how he involves players who are not part of the playing XI. That makes a big difference.”

Pathan says India should be wary of New Zealand

Pathan also warned that New Zealand will be a very tough opponent in the final. “New Zealand will be very happy with the way they have played their cricket in this tournament. They are a very disciplined side and they always come with a clear plan. They bat deep as well. If they play the same team that played the semi-final, they bat till number nine and they bat properly till that position,” he said.

Jimmy Neesham coming into the team might make their bowling slightly thin, but it strengthens their batting lineup. Their bowling plans are also very good and they have a really calm captain in Mitchell Santner.

I remember after their win against South Africa in the semi-final, everyone was clapping and celebrating. But the only person who was not overly excited was the captain. He stayed calm even in that moment. That is the kind of leader he is, especially when the team is in control of the situation.

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As an Indian cricketer, this is the kind of player you have to be wary of. Santner may not take a lot of wickets, but he can control the game in the middle overs and make a big impact as a leader.

Then you have players like Finn Allen and Tim Seifert who can give them strong starts. Daryl Mitchell has not really got going in this World Cup yet, but whenever he plays against India, he usually performs well.

These are players who quietly come, do their job and move on. They come from a very small country with a population of around six million. There are not too many expectations on them. They prepare well, do their job and go back home.

Winning and losing is part of the game for them. Of course they want to win and they have been part of many finals, but the kind of pressure India will feel will be much higher than what New Zealand experience.

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For Indian fans, losing is often not an option. But we should remind ourselves that it is still a sport. That is also one of the reasons why New Zealand sometimes deliver so well in knockout matches.”

Pathan says past results won’t matter

The final will be played at the same venue where India lost the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia. However, Pathan believes the current players will not think about that result even though a few were part of that losing squad including Suryakumar Yadav.

“These things are in the fans’ minds, but when you are playing as a cricketer, you don’t really think about all of that. As a player, you always want to change history, repeat history and defeat history. That is the mindset you have when you step onto the field.

Whatever challenge comes in front of you, your focus is to face it and deliver for your country. What has happened in the past is in the past. This is a different team and also a different format. Earlier it was a 50-over format, and this is T20 cricket.

Playing in Ahmedabad is always special. It’s a wonderful stadium and the atmosphere there is amazing. Because the ground is so huge, so many fans can come and watch the match, which makes the experience even more exciting.

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In sport, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. But I don’t think these past results will be on the minds of the eleven players who will be on the field.”

‘Bumrah stands alone in his own league’

Pathan also had high praise for India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, calling him one of the most special bowlers in the world.

“If you talk about bowlers around the world – whether it is from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Australia, England or South Africa – there are many wonderful bowlers. We talk about players like Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Jofra Archer and other outstanding bowlers.

But when it comes to Jasprit Bumrah, he stands alone. There is simply no comparison. No one comes close to him. I have seen the ability of many cricketers and I have been involved with cricket for more than 20 years, but I have never seen anyone like Bumrah in my life.

The reason is simple – he delivers under pressure again and again, almost every time. That is something special. In fact, it almost feels inhuman at times. We are very lucky that he plays for India.”

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADPathan’s prediction for the final

When asked about the likely outcome of the match, Pathan said the contest will be extremely close. “I said before the semi-final that the match was 50-50, and it really felt that way before the game. Just one big shot and England were very close to winning. This final is also going to be very close. I would say it is about 55-45 in favour of India,” he said.

“One key matchup I would really like to see is Jasprit Bumrah bowling in the powerplay and trying to get the two in-form New Zealand batters out early – Tim Seifert and Finn Allen,” Pathan concluded.

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