Brad Haddin warns India against Finn Allen: The final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is to be played today, March 8, between India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match is scheduled to start at 7:00 pm Indian time. Suryakumar Yadav’s team would like to create history on Sunday and become the first team to win three trophies as well as defend them.
Ahead of the final showpiece, former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has warned the Men in Blue that they need to be very cautious in the final. Haddin has backed New Zealand to win the final and believes that if Finn Allen takes the field in the crucial match, it will end India’s hopes once again.
Finn Allen is an important player for New Zealand
Finn Allen is in great form in this T20 World Cup. The Kiwi opener might have played the most important innings in Semi-Final 1 against South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He made and broke several records last week, scoring the fastest century in T20Is and also the fastest century in T20 World Cup history.
Allen scored 100* off 33 balls and ended the game in just 12.5 overs for the Black Caps while chasing the target of 170. He came into this season in great form. He is the team’s leading run-scorer in the tournament with 289 runs and is just five runs away from becoming the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament.
If he (Finn Allen) goes to the final- Brad Haddin
“If he (Finn Allen) goes to the final, he is a player who can ruin India’s party on home soil. If I was coming into the tournament for India, the one team I wouldn’t want to play in the final is New Zealand,” Haddin said on the Willow Talk cricket podcast.
Here is the video
Former Australian player Brad Haddin supported New Zealand.
He says: If Finn Allen fires in the final, he can ruin India’s party. He said that New Zealand does not need to fear India in home conditions, they have defeated them in Test series before and backed New Zealand to win the final.pic.twitter.com/QgfvIm3Z3u
– Sam (@Cricsam01) 8 March 2026
Brad Haddin also believes that New Zealand will not be intimidated by the conditions and pitch in India, as the Black Caps have shown in recent games that they can compete with the hosts on their own turf.
“New Zealand are not afraid of India in home conditions. They have beaten them in the Test series here. So if they can go in with that mentality and Finn Allen can play with that freedom, they can put some real pressure on India. I’m going with New Zealand.”
I’m going with New Zealand – Nathan Lyon
In the podcast, Australian spinner Nathan Lyon also shared his views on the India vs New Zealand final. He also predicts that the Kiwis will win the competition, and that New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner could have an impact on pitches with large square boundaries.
“I am going with New Zealand in the final. The biggest key for India is the way Mitchell Santner plays. He is the captain of the team and has been very economical, especially on these pitches,” Lyon said.
New Zealand has not won the ICC white-ball trophy since 2000. Last time they won the ICC Champions Trophy by defeating India. The last time they won the ICC trophy was by defeating the same opponent in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2021.
They have not lost a single game against the Men in Blue in the T20 World Cup format and will be looking to continue their dominance and win their first ICC T20 World Cup trophy in India.
Also read: Rohit Sharma warns Jasprit Bumrah of ‘Finn Allen’ before T20 World Cup final