Sourav Ganguly made bold predictions for the blockbuster T20 World Cup 2026 final as the India national cricket team is set to take on the New Zealand national cricket team for the final championship at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.
Whenever India and New Zealand meet on the big stage, drama is sure to happen. Over the years, their battles in ICC tournaments have produced some unforgettable moments, and this time the stakes are even higher. The two teams have taken very different paths to reach the final.
Sourav Ganguly makes bold prediction ahead of T20 World Cup 2026 final in Ahmedabad
Both India and New Zealand looked dominant for most of the tournament, but had to fight hard in some matches to stay in the competition. This makes the T20 World Cup 2026 final even more exciting, with New Zealand looking for their maiden title in the format.
Also read: Indian stars clash in team bus before T20 World Cup 2026 final
Ahead of the big title clash, former India captain and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has made a bold prediction. The veteran batsman believes that the defending champions have the strength and firepower to lift the trophy in front of the home crowd.
“India will win the World Cup. We are a very strong team. All the players will hit sixes. They will definitely win,” Sourav Ganguly told the media at Eden Gardens after the launch of Bigg Boss Bangla.
Big prediction before the final battle!
former indian captain #SouravGanguly believe that #TeamIndia Near #newzealand Has full strength to win T20 World Cup 2026. #INDvNZ #T20WorldCupONDDsports #TeamIndia #sauravagangali
@bcci @SGanguly99 pic.twitter.com/usrAujDFP7
– Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) 7 March 2026
Red soil vs black soil: two different challenges in Ahmedabad
Meanwhile, Motera is one of the few stadiums in India that is known for having a variety of surfaces. The ground also has red-soil pitches, black-soil pitches and hybrid pitches made by mixing both the soils. Each surface behaves differently during a match.
As the game progresses, black soil pitches usually become slower and the ball holds little grip, making it difficult to bat. On the other hand, red clay surfaces generally provide better bounce and pace, and this often helps batsmen play freely and score higher scores.
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India have already experienced before the tournament how tricky the surface can be at this venue. During the Super Eights stage, the hosts struggled badly against South Africa on a black soil pitch in Ahmedabad. As the surface became slower, the match slipped away from India’s hands.
Hybrid pitch likely for T20 World Cup 2026 final
Because of that experience, pitch curators are thinking carefully about the pitches for the final. That being said, the middle strip used is a hybrid surface made up of both red and black clay. Such pitches usually provide bounce for the batsmen as well as some support for the bowlers.
However, the final decision for the pitch was not officially confirmed, as preparations are still ongoing. Stump cameras were still to be installed, which usually happens only after the pitch is finalized. The ground staff was seen closely checking a particular strip.
The pitch was covered on Saturday also. Interestingly, this surface has hardly been used in the tournament. Before this it had hosted only one match when South Africa faced Canada in the group stage and scored more than 200 runs. Since then, the pitch has remained mostly fresh, meaning the T20 World Cup 2026 final could be played on one of the stadium’s newest pitches.
