Ishan Kishan's Grandfather and Coach Share Hopes for T20 World Cup Final

As India prepares for the ICC T20 World Cup final against New Zealand, Ishan Kishan's grandfather and coach express their hopes for his performance. Anurag Pandey wishes for Ishan to score big, while coach Uttam Mazumdar emphasizes the importance of playing for the nation. With Ishan being a top performer in the tournament, both his family and coach are optimistic about India's chances of winning the title. The excitement builds as the teams finalize their squads for this crucial match.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 8, 2026, 18:07 IST

Excitement Builds for T20 World Cup Final

As India prepares to face New Zealand in the ICC T20 World Cup final, Ishan Kishan's grandfather, Anurag Pandey, expressed his hopes for the young wicketkeeper-batter to achieve a significant score, ideally a half-century or even a century, to help secure victory for the team.

India aims for its third ICC T20 World Cup title, while New Zealand, the reigning World Test Champions, seeks its first title in limited-overs cricket.

Grandfather's Encouragement

In a conversation, Anurag stated, "We hope he performs well and scores at least 100 runs, or at least above 50 runs. We wish the entire team success in winning the trophy."

Ishan has been a standout performer in the tournament, accumulating 263 runs in eight innings, making him the top run-scorer for India and seventh overall, with an average of 32.87 and a strike rate of 189.20, including two fifties and a highest score of 77.

Coach's Call to Action

Uttam Mazumdar, Ishan's childhood coach, emphasized the importance of the match, urging him to play not just for himself but for the entire nation. He stated, "Today is crucial for all of India and its 1.4 billion people. Ishan must aim for a hundred; if he does, the whole country can celebrate as champions. The team needs to give their all to win."

Confidence in Team's Performance

Uttam expressed strong confidence in India's chances of winning, citing their impressive performances in critical matches, including a five-wicket victory against West Indies and a narrow seven-run win over England.

He highlighted the need for Ishan and Sanju Samson to excel, stating, "We will not only win today, but we will win by a large margin. Ishan and Sanju, who performed exceptionally in previous matches, must deliver again. We expect Ishan to score a hundred today and bring home the World Cup trophy."

Ishan's Journey Back to the Team

Uttam reflected on Ishan's return to the national team after a two-year hiatus, during which he was removed from the central contract due to concerns about his commitment to domestic cricket. However, his impressive performances in domestic tournaments, including leading Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title, earned him a spot back in the squad.

Since rejoining, Ishan has excelled, scoring 215 runs in four innings at an average of 53.75 and a strike rate of 231.18, including a century and a fifty.

Praise for Ishan's Skills

Uttam praised Ishan's exceptional power-hitting abilities, particularly his pull shot, and concluded by encouraging him to play a responsible innings to help secure the trophy.

Squads for the Final

New Zealand Squad: Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner(c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.

India Squad: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav.