New Delhi: Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium witnessed a star-studded evening as India took on New Zealand in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup, with thousands of fans filling the stands and several celebrities joining the excitement.
Among those cheering for Team India were Aparshakti Khurana, Karan Kundrra and Tejasswi Prakash who enjoyed the high voltage match from the stadium.
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Aparshakti Khurana attended the match in Team India jersey and was also briefly captured on live television. His elder brother, actor Ayushmann Khurrana noticed this and shared a screenshot on X.
“Bhai dikh gaya #WorldCup2026,” he captioned the post.
Cricket legends and celebrities in the stands
The highly watched finale also attracted several celebrities. India’s former World Cup-winning captains Kapil Dev, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma were present in Ahmedabad when India took on the Kiwis.
Actor Preity Zinta was also spotted at the stadium and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also attended the match.
A massive celebrity presence added to the electrifying atmosphere at the world’s largest cricket stadium.
India after record T20 World Cup final total
On the field, India produced a spectacular batting performance, posting 255/6, the highest total recorded in a T20 World Cup final.
The innings was powered by brilliant half-centuries from Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan along with an explosive cameo from Shivam Dube.
Dube remained unbeaten on 26 off just 8 balls, smashing James Neesham for 24 runs in the final over to take India’s score to a massive total.
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New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner had earlier won the toss and opted to field.
India’s explosive start
India’s opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma gave the team a flying start and took advantage of the loose bowling during the power over.
After a cautious start, the duo picked up speed quickly and scored 92 runs in the over, the highest total in the over in a T20 World Cup match.
Abhishek Sharma also produced one of the standout performances of the tournament as he produced the fastest World Cup half-century in just 18 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes.
The pair also became the first opening duo to register a 50-run partnership in a T20 World Cup final.
Although Rachin Ravindra eventually dismissed Sharma for 52 off 21 balls, a 98-run opening stand had already laid the foundation for a huge total.
Middle Overs And Late Drama
Even after the breakthrough, India continued its aggressive approach.
Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan added 93 runs in just 41 balls for the second wicket to take India to 191/1 in 14 overs.
Samson continued his impressive run in the tournament to score another half-century – his third fifty in a row and becoming only the third player to do so in the T20 World Cup semi-final and final.
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New Zealand’s pace attack, including Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry, struggled to keep the score down as Ferguson conceded 48 runs in two overs.
However, James Neesham pulled things back briefly by removing Samson, Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav in the 16th over, reducing India from 203/2 to 204/4.
Later, veteran pacer Matt Henry dismissed Hardik Pandya for 18 in his last match.
Despite the late wickets, India finished with a mammoth total of 255/5, setting a daunting target for New Zealand in the title race.
