T20WC: Bouyed by recent success, Team India looks to settle scores against NZ in ICC event knockouts

NEW DELHI: Team India will enter the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium as massive favourites, enjoying a massive home advantage and a wave of recent white-ball success against the Kiwis in ICC tournaments.

While the Men in Blue and their fans could get flashbacks of the Ahmedabad heartbreak against Australia, which stopped India’s dominant 10-match win streak courtesy tactical masterclass of skipper Pat Cummins and a brutal hammering by Travis Head, the baggage of negativity will come down and everyone will find some comfort in team’s most recent wins against New Zealand and the fact their country is on a winning run across the men’s, women’s and age-group cricket. The baggage will feel a little lighter.

Over the years, India and New Zealand have met five times in ICC events’ knockout stages, with India winning twice and New Zealand winning three. However, in the past two knockout stage matches, India has emerged victorious, and this gives Team India a razor-sharp edge.

If India are to claim another #T20WorldCup trophy, there is some history they need to overcome

Looking back at New Zealand’s 100% record over India at the tournament https://t.co/Rltq4po5LN

— ICC (@ICC) March 7, 2026

Here is a look at IND-NZ clashes in ICC events knockout stages:

-2000 ICC Knockout final: Chris Cairns blitz ruins Ganguly’s landmark century
In Nairobi, NZ won the toss and elected to field first. A 141-run stand between skipper Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar (69 in 83 balls, with 10 fours and a six) gave India an explosive start, setting India for a 300-plus total as a possibility. Ganguly slammed a 130-ball 117, with nine fours and four sixes, which till this day stands the only century by an Indian player in an ICC event final.

After he fell as the third wicket at score of 220, India did not quite recover, posting 264/6, with Scott Styris (2/53) as pick of their bowlers.

During the run-chase, India had the Kiwis down at 37/2 thanks to Venkatesh Prasad (3/27). A 45-run stand between Nathan Astle (37 in 48 balls, with five fours) and Roger Twose (31 in 35 balls, with four boundaries) helped the Kiwis stabilise a bit. But with Anil Kumble (2/55) staging a comeback for India and reducing them to 132/5, a counter-attack came from Cairns, who made 102 in 113 balls, with eight fours and two sixes and put up a 122-run stand with Chris Harris (46 in 72 balls, with four boundaries), guiding NZ to their maiden white-ball title with four wickets and two balls to spare.

-2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal: A Guptill direct hit dims India’s light, Thala bows out
This match at Manchester took place across two days due to rain, with the first day stopped at NZ at 211/5 after they elected to bat first. After being reduced to 69/2, skipper Kane Williamson (67 in 95 balls, with six fours) and Ross Taylor (74 in 90 balls, with three fours and a six) put on a 65 run stand for the third wicket, while Taylor continued to stitch brief partnerships with everyone following Kane’s dismissal, before he himself fell as sixth wicket for 225 runs. NZ was restricted to 239/8, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/43) as India’s lead bowler.

However, during the run-chase, Matt Henry (3/37) and Trent Boult (2/42) rocked India’s top-order, leaving the crowd silent as KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli scored one each. Despite valiant efforts from youngsters Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya (32 each), NZ starred at an easy win with India at 92/6. But Ravindra Jadeja did not put his weapons down, staging a comeback as MS Dhoni (50 in 72 balls, with a four and six) was watchful from the other end, with the left-hander scoring 77 in 59 balls, including four boundaries and four sixes. Both put on a 116-run stand for the seventh wicket.

With India needing 31 in the final two, Dhoni brought down the equation to 25 in 11 balls with a huge six against Lockie Ferguson. But an attempt to run a couple in the same over proved to be lethal as Dhoni was run out, sent back with tears in his eyes, having played his last international match for India. India was skittled out for 221, and their grand stage heartbreak continued.

-2021 ICC World Test Championship final: Clinical Kiwis deny Kohli ultimate Test glory
Heading into the 2021 WTC final, Virat had developed himself as one of the fiercest Test leaders and ambassadors who looked all but set for the historic mace with an incredible fast bowling roster at his disposal and reliable batters ready to take responsibility. But right from NZ opted to field first, things barely went India’s way as despite Virat’s 44 and Ajinkya Rahane’s 49, Kiwis packed India for 217, with Kyle Jamieson (5/31) breaking the back of Indian batting with his unbelievable pace, height and bounce.

Devon Conway (54) and skipper Williamson (49) helped the Kiwis to a 32-run first innings lead, being bundled out for 249, with a Mohammed Shami four-fer and three-fer from Ishant Sharma causing NZ some trouble. Southee (4/48) and Boult (3/39) left no advantage for India on offer as they were bundled out for 170, setting 139 runs to win for the Kiwis. Williamson (52*) and Ross Taylor (47*), two of the biggest NZ cricket servants, chased it down with eight wickets in hand, denying Virat’s men of another shot at glory. Jamieson’s seven wickets, including a fifer, earned him a ‘Player of the Match’ award.

-2023 ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal: Record-breaking Kohli, Iyer, Shami prove too much for valiant Kiwis
From the moment India opted to bat first, NZ was on the back foot, with the skipper Rohit Sharma (47 in 29 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) and Shubman Gill (putting on dancing shoes for a little shimmy down the crease occasionally and dismantling the Kiwi pacers in the powerplay with a 71-run stand. Later, a record-breaking 50th ODI ton from Virat Kohli (117 in 113 balls, with nine fours and two sixes) and the fastest ICC ODI knockout hundred from Shreyas Iyer (105 in 70 balls, with four boundaries and eight sixes) and a fiery 20-ball 39* from KL Rahul took India to 399/4.

Kiwis could feel the pressure, restricted to 39/2 by Mohammed Shami (7/57). However, Daryl Mitchell (134 in 119 balls, with nine fours and seven sixes), in form of his life, dazzled the Wankhede crowd with his third ton of the day, putting up 181 run stand with Williamson (69 in 73 balls, with eight fours and a six). But after Shami broke the partnership, he continued to burn the Kiwis down slowly with a record-breaking spell, as they skittled out for 327 in 48.5 overs, with Team India finally breaking the Kiwi curse of ICC event knockout matches.

-2025 ICC Champions Trophy final: A Rohit classic, KL’s finish seals India’s second white-ball title in less than a year
Opting to bat first, the Kiwis huffed and puffed to 251/7 on a sluggish Dubai pitch, with Daryl Mitchell (63 in 101 balls, with three fours) and Michael Bracewell (53* in 40 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) posting contrasting fifties. Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav had incredible 10-over spells, getting two wickets each.

The ‘Hitman’, who had not quite taken off in the tournament, started off with a 110-run stand with Gill (31). Despite Kohli’s dismissal for one, Rohit carried on, scoring a captain’s knock of 76 in 83 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) before he became the third casualty at a score of 122 runs. A partnership of 61 runs between Shreyas Iyer (48 in 62 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Axar Patel (29 in 40 balls, with a four and a six) and fine finishing from KL Rahul (34* in 33 balls, with a four and a six) and Hardik Pandya (18*) propelled India to a four-wicket win with an over in hand.

India, months after breaking the trophy drought with the 2024 T20WC win, was also the CT2025 champion, with two of three white-ball titles in their hands after unbeaten runs. (ANI)