Summary of this article
Opening ceremony for India vs New Zealand T20 World Cup 2026 final featured Ricky Martin
The global pop icon performed hits like ‘Livin’ la Vida Loca’ and ‘The Cup of Life’ in Ahmedabad
Sukhbir Singh and Falguni Pathak added Punjabi and Gujarati musical flair
India vs New Zealand, T20 World Cup 2026 Final: Puerto Rican pop star Ricky Martin headlined the closing ceremony of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The short closing ceremony took place before the toss of India’s final against New Zealand.
The two-time Grammy winner performed a high-energy set to entertain a packed crowd at Motera. This included several of his hits, such as ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’ and ‘Maria’. He closed his performance with the FIFA World Cup 1998 anthem, ‘La Copa De La Vida’ (The Cup of Life), resulting in huge cheers from the crowd.
Sukhbir Singh and Falguni Pathak Add Indian Flavour
The closing ceremony saw Martin share the stage with Indian stars Sukhbir Singh and Falguni Pathak.
Falguni, who is called the ‘Dandiya Queen’, opened the event with Gujarati folk songs and Bollywood hits from yesteryear, flanked by dancers. She was followed by the Indo-Kenyan bhangra star Sukhbir, who performed his Punjabi hits, including ‘Oh Ho Ho Ho’.
Meanwhile, New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl first during the T20 World Cup 2026 final, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson opening the batting for India.
