T20 World Cup final: Hotel switch, delayed nets: India leave nothing to chance

Superstition meets strategy as the Indian cricket team changes hotels, contemplates a red soil pitch, and plans a star-studded entertainment show with Ricky Martin for the T20 World Cup final, aiming to secure victory.

IMAGE: The Motera Stadium has all three kinds of track -- red, black and mixture of red and black. Photograph: BCCI/X

Key Points

The Indian cricket team changed its hotel in Ahmedabad ahead of the T20 World Cup final due to previous losses at the prior location.
Team management is considering a red soil pitch for the final match against New Zealand, potentially favouring India's batting strength.
Ricky Martin, along with other artists, will perform at the Narendra Modi Stadium to entertain the crowd before the T20 World Cup final.

The BCCI too doesn't want to leave any stone unturned in order to give the 'Men In Blue' the best chance of winning the third T20 World Cup trophy.

So much so that prior to the semifinal, Indian team delayed its training session in Mumbai by 45 minutes to avoid the "ill-effects" of Lunar Eclipse.

In Ahmedabad, the BCCI has changed India's team hotel ahead of the final.

While no one will come on record but it is only fair to mention that during team's previous couple of stays in the earlier hotel in Ahmedabad, they lost two big matches (2023 ODI WC final and this year's Super 8s against SA).

You can't really grudge if they want to ensure that lady luck finally smiles on them.

Pitch Considerations for the Final

Having lost against South Africa on a black soil track two weeks back, Indian team management might opt for a red soil pitch for the final.

The Motera Stadium has all three kinds of track -- red, black and mixture of red and black.

IMAGE: While no one will come on record but it is only fair to mention that during team's previous couple of stays in the earlier hotel in Ahmedabad, they lost two big matches (2023 ODI WC final and this year's Super 8s against SA). Photograph: BCCI/X

The Wankhede Stadium only has red soil tracks and India's superb batting show might just prompt them to go for a red soil track.

That the track hasn't yet been finalised was evident with the broadcasters yet to fix the stump cam on any of the surfaces.

There was one particular surface which was keenly checked by the local curators and even BCCI CEO Hemang Amin was found doing a recce.

Later that was the only surface that covered while four adjoining tracks were also cordoned off.

Entertainment Lineup for the T20 World Cup Final

Puerto Rican Grammy award winning singer Ricky Martin will enthral near 100,000 spectators at the Narendra Modi Stadium along with 'Dandiya Queen' Phalguni Pathak and Bollywood playback singer Sukhwinder Singh ahead of the T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand on Sunday.

The ICC has planned a musical entertainment ahead of the toss and the audience are likely to get a chance to groove to the beats of his iconic chartbuster 'Un Do Ttres (one two three) Maria'.

Special Train Service for Fans

Understanding the heavy demand of fans travelling to Ahmedabad for the big ticket finale, the Western Railway will run a special train from Mumbai to Ahmedabad on the match day.

This will allow a convenient and affordable journey for the fans with the air fare prices of the Ahmedabad sector already soaring.