New Delhi, March 8 – Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has commented on the high-stakes clash between defending champions India and New Zealand, labeling the hosts as the heavy favorites to defend their title, saying, "ICC events are now an integral part of India's identity."
India and New Zealand are set to face off in the T20 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with India on the verge of a record third title, while New Zealand aims for its first.
"I believe India has the home advantage. ICC events are now a defining part of India's performance; they either reach the final or consistently win. This is a significant change that we have observed in the Indian team over the last 4–5 years," Latif stated.
Both teams entered the final on the back of dominant semifinal performances. India edged out England in a high-scoring thriller by seven runs at the Wankhede Stadium, fueled by Sanju Samson's blistering 89 and Jasprit Bumrah's death-bowling masterclass.
New Zealand, meanwhile, stunned an undefeated South Africa in Kolkata. Opener Finn Allen etched his name in history with a 33-ball century, the fastest in T20 World Cup history, to chase down 170 in just 12.5 overs.
"New Zealand are definitely a strong team. The way they defeated South Africa in the semifinal in such a one-sided manner was truly remarkable. That match was unique, and could easily be considered among the best matches in history. We don't often see this. India is the favorite, but New Zealand also has the ability to fight back. However, they might struggle to match India's firepower," he added.
Latif observed that the crucial period between the 16th and 18th overs has been the "turning point" in recent matches, where India's ability to restrict runs has outclassed their rivals, highlighting a stark contrast between India and South Africa, England, and New Zealand, pointing to India's superior "finishing" with the ball.
"In my opinion, the real difference lies in the death overs. South Africa, New Zealand, and England lacked strong death-over bowling, but India has that strength. Arshdeep has developed a lot; he has been given consistent opportunities to bowl in the death overs. In the previous matches, the overs between 16 and 18 were where the game really changed due to the bowling," he said.
Latif concluded that if Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan find their form in Ahmedabad, New Zealand's disciplined bowling unit might be overwhelmed. However, should the openers fail again, the pressure will fall squarely on the shoulders of the death bowlers to save the day once more.
"New Zealand have been playing well throughout the tournament. They have lost two matches, but in T20 cricket, their top three should be strong, and New Zealand's top three is among the best. India also has a very good top three.
"Sanju Samson has been performing well at the top, but the other two haven't been scoring the kind of runs expected from them. They are getting runs, but not in the way the team would ideally want. If Ishan and Abhishek perform in the final, it would be outstanding for India," the former cricketer concluded.
