Sunday, 15 March 2026
Sunday, 15 March 2026
Heavy security arrangements were put in place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday as fans began arriving for the T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand.
Around 3,000 police personnel and nearly 1,000 home guards have been deployed at the venue, officials said.
For the first time, holding areas have been created near Gates 1 and 2 along the main road to manage the crowd and prevent any possibility of a stampede.
"As part of bandobast, around 3,000 police personnel and around 1,000 home guards have been deployed. This time, we have created holding areas at gate nos. 1 and 2 near the main road to prevent any possibility of a stampede. We are implementing this for the first time during the match," Ahmedabad police commissioner G.S. Malik said.
Police have also deployed three anti-drone systems and eight bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) teams as part of the security cover. Two persons have already been arrested for allegedly black-marketing tickets for the match, officials said.
Malik appealed to spectators to use public transport to ease traffic congestion around the stadium. Transport services will run late into the night to help fans return home after the match, he said.
Special arrangements have also been made for the safety and convenience of women spectators. Measures have also been put in place inside the stadium to prevent fans from entering the playing area during the match.
Several senior officers, including a joint commissioner of police and 12 deputy commissioners of police, will remain present at the venue as part of the security arrangements.
Defending champions India will take on New Zealand in the summit clash at the Motera stadium on Sunday evening. Fans began streaming into the venue in large numbers in the afternoon, hours before the 7 pm start of the match.
The atmosphere around the stadium was different from November 19, 2023, when India played Australia in a previous World Cup final here.
That match had started at 1 pm and crowds had gathered from early morning. Sunday’s evening start saw fans arriving later in the day. Many supporters appeared confident about India’s chances after the team’s performances during the tournament.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged the strong Indian presence in the stands in a message to fans back home.
"I am not one for big speeches or rallying cries ... but it's fair to say we are a bit outnumbered over here -- 1.4 billion Team India fans and all that ... But it's all good because we know back home you will have our backs," he said in a message to Kiwi fans on X.
"Kia Ora Aotearoa," he wrote on X.
"We get it. The match starts super early Monday morning. But set your alarm and get around us one more time. And if you are a bit late to school, pass on my message to your boss or teachers," he wrote.
He ended the message hoping the team would be "home soon with some extra luggage."
Among the fans entering the stadium were Tarun and Gautam, two tech professionals from Bengaluru who travelled to Ahmedabad for the match. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," one of them said.
However, some overseas fans were unable to travel after Dubai airspace was temporarily closed due to the conflict with Iran. Meanwhile, in Varanasi, weavers have prepared 15 special Banarasi sarees to be gifted to Indian players after the final.
Laghu Udyog Bharati Kashi province secretary Sarvesh Srivastava said the sarees feature motifs of all the World Cup trophies won by India along with the respective years.
"The design of the trophy for this year's T20 World Cup has also been incorporated into the sarees," he said. The borders of the sarees feature motifs of bats and balls, while the weave follows the traditional Banarasi pattern.
Each saree has been packed separately in decorative boxes. Photographs of married players with their wives have been attached to the sarees meant for them, while individual photographs have been added for unmarried players.
Each saree costs between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 and artisans took around one-and-a-half months to complete a single piece.
"The objective of this initiative is to boost the morale of the Indian cricket team and showcase the art of Banarasi sarees to the country and the world," Srivastava said.
Prayers were also offered for India’s victory at the Ganga Dwar of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham.
Rajesh Shukla, Kashi region coordinator of Namami Gange, said devotees performed a special aarti carrying pictures of Indian players, cricket bats and the national flag. The ICC Men's T20 World Cup trophy also has a connection with Jaipur.
Designer Amit Pabuwal said the trophy was crafted by him after the initial concept was prepared by Australia's Minale Bryce.
"Once the design outline was finalised, the ICC assigned me the work of making the trophy. That is how the ICC T20 World Cup trophy was produced in 2007," he said.
"The ICC had initially planned to create the trophy using a combination of titanium and glass so that the design would reflect the fast and modern style of T20 cricket," he said. However, the glass components repeatedly broke during production.
"Several prototypes were prepared, but the glass components repeatedly broke when being integrated with the metal structure, making the concept technically difficult to execute. After several experiments, I advised that the combination would not work technically."
He said the final trophy was made of silver with platinum plating. The original trophy remains at the ICC headquarters while the winning team receives a replica. The trophy stands about 21 inches tall and weighs around six kilograms.
