T20 World Cup 2026 Final: Dhoni And Rohit Carry Trophy As Ahmedabad Crowd Cheers

Cricket icons MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma jointly carried the trophy of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup onto the field before the final between the India cricket team and the New Zealand cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

The appearance of the two former captains with the shining trophy was greeted with loud cheers from the packed stadium.

Dhoni famously guided India to victory in the first edition of the tournament in 2007, while Rohit led the side to their triumph in the 2024 competition.

They were accompanied by the tournament ambassador and Jay Shah, along with Uday Shankar.

The group placed the trophy on a pedestal before the players from both teams walked out for their respective national anthems.

National Anthem and Toss

Veteran singer Kavita Krishnamurthy performed the Indian national anthem. Soon after, the match began with New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner winning the toss and choosing to bowl against defending champions India.

New Zealand made a single alteration to their line-up, bringing in fast bowler Jacob Duffy instead of off-spinning all-rounder Cole McConchie.

India, meanwhile, kept the same playing XI that defeated England by seven runs in the semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium.

Before the final, the closing ceremony featured a performance by international pop star Ricky Martin, who entertained the crowd. He began with Livin’ la Vida Loca and concluded his set with María and La Copa de la Vida, drawing loud applause from spectators.

Indian performers Sukhbir and Falguni Pathak also took the stage during the ceremony.

Sukhbir performed several well-known Punjabi hits, including Oh Ho Ho Ho, while Pathak, popularly known as the Dandiya Queen, presented a mix of Gujarati folk tunes and Bollywood numbers.

The final brings the 20-team tournament to its conclusion. India advanced smoothly through the knockout phase after an earlier 76-run defeat to South Africa in Ahmedabad.

New Zealand, still chasing their first Men’s T20 World Cup title, is competing in the final for only the second time.