Ahmedabad, March 8: Legendary cricketers MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma jointly presented the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup trophy ahead of the final between India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
The sight of the two bringing out the gleaming trophy generated a thunderous roar of delight from the packed crowd. Dhoni, who led India to victory in the inaugural 2007 edition, joined Rohit, who led the team to win the trophy in 2024.
Besides Dhoni and Rohit, ICC Chairman Jay Shah and JioStar Vice-Chairman Uday Shankar, who are also ambassadors for the ongoing tournament, also presented the trophy, which was placed on a pedestal before both India and New Zealand came out to perform their national anthems.
Legendary playback singer Kavitha Krishnamurthy delivered a powerful rendition of the Indian national anthem. Regarding the match, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to bowl against defending champions India.
The Blackcaps also made one change, bringing in pacer Jacob Duffy in place of off-spin bowler Cole McConchie. India named an unchanged side from their seven-run semi-final victory over England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The pre-final closing ceremony featured global pop star Ricky Martin, who performed for the capacity crowd before the final. Martin opened with his hit "Livin' la Vida Loca" before closing with "María" and "La Copa de la Vida," drawing a resounding response from the crowd.
Indian artists Sukhbir Singh and Falguni Pathak also performed during the closing ceremony. Sukhbir performed his popular Punjabi tracks including "Oh Ho Ho Ho”, while Falguni, known as the "Dandiya Queen", performed a medley of Gujarati folk music and Bollywood songs.
The final marks the culmination of a 20-team tournament that has seen India successfully navigate the knockout rounds after suffering a 76-run loss to South Africa in Ahmedabad. New Zealand, who have never previously won the Men's T20 World Cup, are appearing in their second final.
