Mixed-Soil Pitch Selected for India-New Zealand T20 World Cup Final at Ahmedabad

The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final between India and New Zealand at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium will be played on a mixed-soil pitch combining red and black soil. This surface, previously used in a South Africa-Canada match, is expected to offer good bounce and pace, favoring batsmen and seamers while limiting spin. The choice aims to avoid issues faced by India on the slower black-soil pitch during the 2023 ODI World Cup final and recent Super 8 loss. The pitch was selected by ICC officials, with no confirmed special input from the Indian team or BCCI. A par score around 200 is anticipated, suggesting a balanced contest on a fresh wicket.