AHMEDABAD: Co-hosts and defending champions India have made several superstitious changes, including a hotel change, ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand, Indian media reported on Saturday.
The Men in Blue will take on the Blackcaps in Sunday’s climactic clash of the 20-team tournament at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the site of two historic defeats against Australia in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 final and South Africa in the Super Eight of the ongoing mega event.
As a result, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is committed to leaving no stone unturned to give the home team the best chance of winning the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The report added that India may also change the dressing room for the visitors to change the scenery of the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Possible changes during the current tournament add to India’s pessimistic attitude, with the report adding that practice at the Wankhede stadium for the semi-final against England has been delayed to avoid the “malign effects” of the lunar eclipse.
According to the report, the upcoming results are seen as an attempt by the management to remove the mental barriers of their players associated with the stadium.
It further suggested that by changing the hotel and dressing room, the Indian management would treat the upcoming match as a “neutral game” and reduce the burden of historical setbacks at the venue.