Suryakumar Yadav-led India will go into the T20 World Cup 2026 final with the same playing XI that featured in the semifinal against England. With this decision, the suspense around Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy’s place in the team has finally ended.
There had been speculation about whether India might bring in Kuldeep Yadav in place of Chakravarthy after the leg-spinner conceded 64 runs in the semifinal. At the same time, Abhishek Sharma has not made a big impact in the tournament so far, which also raised questions about his place in the side.
However, Sports Tak understands that the team management has decided to stick with the same XI. This means both Abhishek and Chakravarthy will feature in the title clash as well.
India's journey to the T20 World Cup 2026 final
India had a strong run to the final. They topped Group A after beating Pakistan, USA, the Netherlands and Namibia. In the Super 8 stage, India finished second in Group 1, which helped them secure a place in the semi-finals. There, they defeated England in a thrilling contest to book their spot in the title clash.
India on verge of creating history
If India manages to win the final, they will become the first team in history to defend the ICC T20 World Cup title successfully. Playing the final at home, in front of a packed stadium, will certainly give the team extra motivation. However, New Zealand are known for stepping up in big tournaments and will not be an easy opponent.
Interestingly, past meetings between the two teams in T20 World Cups favour the Kiwis. New Zealand have won all three of their previous T20 World Cup clashes against India.
India's playing XI vs New Zealand: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah