India and New Zealand will square off in the final of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Sunday (March 8).

While the Kiwis entered the final on the back of a crushing nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the semifinal at the Eden Gardens, the defending champions defeated England by seven runs in their final-four clash at the Wankhede Stadium.

India may have dominated New Zealand in bilateral series over the past few years, but the Men in Blue still await a win against the Black Caps in the T20 World Cup.

On the eve of the title clash, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner delivered a stern warning to the Indian fans, saying that he won’t mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy.

During the pre-match presser in Ahmedabad, Santner was asked a reporter, “Do you want to be, tomorrow, a bunch of bad guys who break a billion hearts?”

To which, he replied: “I wouldn't mind winning a trophy. You look at this group and the groups that have been in the past, we are pretty consistent on these because we try not to get overawed by the situation or opponents. We go out there and do our thing. And as a unit, it's been no different this time. And again, it's going to be obviously a challenge where everyone knows we're probably not the favourites. But we don't mind.”

“We know we can, if we do our little things well and put in a strong team performance, put us in a pretty good position to hopefully lift the trophy. I wouldn't mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy for once,” Santner added.

The Kiwi skipper also suggested that India will certainly be under pressure as they aim to defend the T20 World Cup at home.

“I think that there are a lot of variables in T20 cricket, and it is fickle at times. And we’ve seen throughout the whole World Cup that, you know, a lot of teams are on similar pages, and it comes down to, you know, some little moments in every game that change the outcome,” Santner said.

“The other night, we saw South Africa playing very good cricket all the way through, and then, I guess, had a little hiccup against us, and you’re out. So I think for us, it’s about taking confidence in the fact that if we go about our business the same way, we can upset another big team. And I think there’s obviously a lot of pressure on them to win, to win this World Cup at home. I mean, it would be, like I said, we don’t want to be pretty cool for you know to win a home. Home World Cup, so I think that comes with a lot of added pressure as well so if we can go out there and try and put, I guess, the added pressure on them, let’s see,” he further remarked.

While Santner acknowledged that India come in with a lot of momentum and confidence, he highlighted the hosts' bowling performance in the semifinal, where England almost chased down a colossal target of 254.

“India will obviously come into this game with plenty of momentum and confidence, particularly with the bat. With the ball, they might feel they could have done a little better after conceding 240 in a high-scoring contest. That said, both teams will head into the final believing in their strengths, and the side that manages to sustain its performance for longer on the day will likely come out on top,” Santner stated.

Reflecting on the conditions in Ahmedabad, Santner mentioned that while the pitch remained covered, expectations remain high for a batting-friendly surface.

"Yeah, I mean I haven't had a look at the wicket yet, it's still under cover, but one can only assume it's going to be pretty flat and high scoring," Santner said.