Summary of this article
Ashwin says India should not view the Narendra Modi Stadium as a “taboo” venue after the 2023 World Cup final loss
He believes India will not be dwelling on past results and says narratives around ICC trophies can change quickly
Ashwin expects bounce and pace from a used Ahmedabad pitch in T20 World Cup 2026 final
Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has urged fans not to attach any superstition to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where India will take on New Zealand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final on Sunday.
The Narendra Modi Stadium hosted the 2023 World Cup final, where India suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Australia. This has led to certain mental baggage or “taboo” being attached to the venue, but Ashwin has warned against any such omen being created by fans.
“You can lose a game at a venue and win the next one. What is there in this?” Ashwin said on his YouTube show ‘Ash Ki Baat’. “We have won a lot of games in that stadium. Don’t make a stadium like this taboo.”
“I don’t think it should come into the way. I am sure, after a point of time, that monkey on the back will be there,” he added. “But now, I don’t think the team will be thinking on those lines.”
Ashwin also touched on the fact that the conversation around the Indian team has changed from their inability to win an ICC tournament to winning a couple of titles within the space of six months.
“We were saying that we hadn’t won an ICC trophy for 10 years. In just a year or six months, we won two ICC trophies. So all these things change,” he said.
The pitch in Ahmedabad, which has been a high-scoring ground, will likely be a used one as it has already hosted a match earlier in the T20 World Cup. Earlier, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said that his side would look to restrict India to a sub-250 score on Sunday.
“As far as I know, South Africa and Canada played one game on this pitch,” Ashwin said. “The same pitch is being used, and there will be bounce. There was pace in that wicket as well.”
