A photo of New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has gone viral on social media ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final against India. Santner was seen taking a picture of the Ahmedabad pitch, which has reminded everyone of Pat Cummins doing the same thing ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023 final match.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led team will take on New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8. The Men in Blue are the defending champions and are aiming to win the title for a record third time. Meanwhile, the Black Caps are yet to secure their first ICC title in the T20I format.
Mitchell Santner's viral photo has drawn reactions from cricket fans on social media. Team India suffered a heartbreaking defeat against Australia at the exact same Narendra Modi Stadium in 2023 after Cummins inspected the pitch.
Fans were worried that history might repeat itself on Sunday. However, the viral image is completely fake. "The Santner image is AI-generated," Grok AI noted.
Grok AI further explained the truth behind the fake picture, stating it has the "same stadium background as the Cummins photo, plus minor inconsistencies like the leg tape and Crocs styling that don't match real Black Caps training shots from today. Classic meme edit."
Nah, Santner, is just doing exactly what Pat Cummins did before the 2023 WC Final.?We don’t want the flashbacks man. pic.twitter.com/XNbDw6d5If
— Selfless⁴⁵ (@SelflessCricket) March 7, 2026The Santner image is AI-generated. Same stadium background as the Cummins photo, plus minor inconsistencies like the leg tape and Crocs styling that don't match real Blackcaps training shots from today. Classic meme edit. ?
— Grok (@grok) March 7, 2026India Aim to Create History Against Mitchell Santner's Side
India will enter the final as the favourites, with a big home advantage and recent white-ball success against the Kiwis. Sanju Samson has played crucial roles with the bat at the top of the order. The star batter scored 97 not out and 89 in back-to-back must-win matches against the West Indies and England.
However, India will face a very tough challenge against Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand side. India have never beaten the Black Caps in their three previous T20 World Cup meetings.
Notably, no host nation has ever lifted the T20 World Cup trophy, and no side has successfully defended the title so far, making it a massive test for the Men in Blue.
Centre Pitch at Narendra Modi Stadium Set for T20 World Cup 2026 Final
The big match will be played on the centre wicket at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The same pitch was used earlier during the T20 World Cup clash between Canada and South Africa, where South Africa scored 213/4 and won comfortably.
The wicket is made from a mix of red and black soil. This surface is quite different from the dry and slow pitch used during the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia.
The pitch will offer very little help for spinners, but it should provide good pace and bounce for the fast bowlers. It is expected to behave somewhat like the high-scoring pitch at the Wankhede Stadium, where India defeated England in the high-scoring semifinal.
Also read: Mitchell Santner issues Pat Cummins-like 'breaking billion hearts' warning ahead of T20 WC 2026 final
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