India cricket team are set to take on New Zealand in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8. This will be the fourth time the two teams meet in the final of an ICC tournament, with their previous three encounters producing memorable contests.
Both sides secured impressive victories in their semifinals to book a place in the title clash. India defeated England national cricket team by seven runs at the Wankhede Stadium, while New Zealand pulled off a dominant chase of 170 in just 12.5 overs to eliminate South Africa national cricket team.
With another major final between the two teams approaching, here’s a look at the three previous occasions when India faced New Zealand in the final of an ICC event before the 2026 T20 World Cup.
#3 ICC Knockout Trophy 2000 (New Zealand won by 4 wickets; Gymkhana Cricket Club, Nairobi)
Before it was renamed the ICC Champions Trophy, the tournament was known as the ICC KnockOut Trophy and served as the ICC’s secondary multi-nation white-ball competition. In the second edition of the event, it was India national cricket team and New Zealand national cricket team who faced each other in the final.
Batting first, the side led by Sourav Ganguly got off to a brilliant start. Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar put together a strong 141-run opening partnership, with the captain going on to score a superb century. However, India lost momentum in the latter half of the innings, slipping from 202/1 to 264/6 in the final 12 overs.
Chasing the target, New Zealand stumbled early as Venkatesh Prasad struck in the second over, and India reduced them to 132/5. However, Chris Cairns and Chris Harris turned the game around with a 124-run stand, with Cairns scoring an unbeaten 102 to guide New Zealand to their first-ever ICC title.
#2 ICC World Test Championship 2021 (New Zealand won by 8 wickets; Rose Bowl, Southampton)
Team India and New Zealand had an excellent run in the first cycle of the ICC World Test Championship, finishing as the top two teams in the standings to qualify for the inaugural final. The match was played during the COVID-19 pandemic and was also affected by bad weather.
In the first innings, Kyle Jamieson delivered a brilliant spell, taking a five-wicket haul to bowl India out for 217. In response, India fought back strongly with the ball and managed to limit New Zealand’s lead to just 32 runs at the halfway stage. However, when it was their turn to bat again, the side led by Virat Kohli struggled in the second innings.
Only one Indian batter managed to score more than 30 runs as the team was bowled out for 170, with New Zealand’s pace attack dominating once again. Chasing the modest target in the final innings, captain Kane Williamson guided his team to victory, as New Zealand secured a historic eight-wicket win to claim the first-ever World Test Championship title.
#1 ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (India won by 4 wickets; Dubai International Stadium)
After impressive semifinal victories, India national cricket team and New Zealand national cricket team met in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The two sides had already faced each other earlier in the league stage, where India came out on top. In the final, New Zealand made a strong start after choosing to bat first.
However, India’s wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav shifted the momentum by dismissing Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson in quick succession. Daryl Mitchell steadied the innings during the middle overs, while useful contributions from Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips helped New Zealand push their total slightly past the 250-run mark.
Chasing the target, Rohit Sharma gave India a flying start with a 105-run opening stand alongside Shubman Gill. After a brief wobble, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel steadied the innings, while KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja guided India to victory with an over to spare, making them the first team to win the ICC Champions Trophy three times.
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