 "Past records are against India when it comes to toss results in T20 World Cup finals. Image: JioHotstar")
The final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 between India and New Zealand is taking place at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Mitchell Santner has won the toss and elected to bowl first. He wants to restrict India to a low score and then chase down the target.
Suryakumar Yadav has said he is happy to bat first and was looking to defend the target anyway. India are going with the same team, while the Kiwis have made one change with Cole McConchie missing out and Jacob Duffy coming in.
As fans look forward to the big clash, one interesting talking point is the toss. In T20 cricket, the toss often plays an important role, especially in high-pressure finals.
Toss record in T20 World Cup finals
Looking at the history of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the toss winner has enjoyed a strong record in the final.
Out of the nine T20 World Cup finals played so far, the team winning the toss has gone on to win the match eight times. The only exception was in 2009 when Sri Lanka won the toss but Pakistan won the final. This record shows that the toss can be very important in a T20 World Cup final.
Meanwhile, the team chasing the target in the T20 World Cup finals has won five times, while the team batting first has won four times. Teams batting first won the finals in 2007, 2012, 2022 and 2024. On the other hand, teams chasing the target lifted the trophy in 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2021.
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View AllIndia vs New Zealand playing XI
Interestingly, Australia also opted to field first in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, which they eventually won against India at the same venue.
India’s Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
New Zealand’s Playing XI: Tim Seifert (w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy