Nathan Smith replaces Henry which at least extends New Zealand’s batting depth. India are unchanged from their semi-final win over Australia.

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy

New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke

Ravi Shastri bellows into the mic before the coin flies. New Zealand win it and choose to bat first. Mitch Santner breaks the big news: Matt Henry, the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, has been ruled out after sustaining a shoulder injury in the semi-final against South Africa. A massive blow.

The people I’m thinking of at the moment? The game’s obsessives in Lahore, the people who’d waited decades for a major tournament to come to Pakistan, the ones who shower as much love upon visitors as they do their own. That their own men exited quickly was disappointing; that they’ve had their final shipped off to Dubai is farcical.

India are a hell of a side regardless of conditions. But they have clearly benefited from not having to travel during the tournament, spending weeks examining a favourable square. Those who argue otherwise are kidding themselves. Rohit Sharma’s men begin as overwhelming favourites.

Enter New Zealand, a side looking to make that final step after a decade of near misses in white-ball cricket. Aside from the lost 50–over World Cup finals in 2015 and 2019, there was defeat in the T20 equivalent in late 2021. Mitchell Santner has led brilliantly in his first tournament as captain, his team packed with variety and still beholden to the old-world brilliance of Kane Williamson at No 3. They are up against it … but so were Australia 16 months ago.

I’ll be here to guide you through the entire game and, yes, I’ll cheer up eventually. Drop me a line with your thoughts, queries, song requests, whatever makes you happy.