New Delhi [India], March 7 (ANI): India is all set to host South Africa in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the former Indian wicketkeeper-batter, Parthiv Patel, emphasised that the support of the Indian crowd will be a key factor in motivating the players for the title clash on Sunday.

Team India is aiming to defend its title at home and become the first side ever to win a T20 World Cup in front of the home crowd.

Speaking on JioStar, Chawla stressed the key to success in an ICC tournament final at home. He said, 'You just have to go out there, control your emotions and express yourself. Because it's very important when there are so many people around, and so many think that you're going to win the game. You are the favourites, and that tag also brings a little bit of pressure. But you have to keep all those things aside. And the butterflies, if someone says they're not there, are totally wrong.'

'Once you enter the field and the whole crowd is behind you, cheering for you, gives you motivation. It's the same feeling that you have to do something special. And when every player thinks that way, that we have to do something special, the whole team comes together. It's not only about the eleven who are playing, even the players who are outside and not part of the playing XI, even the support staff, when everyone comes together, but it also becomes like a brute force,' said the former spinner.

Piyush Chawla also highlighted Sanju Samson's crucial role in India's last two wins in the tournament. Samson is in red-hot form with the bat after making 97 not out against the West Indies and 89 runs in the semi-final clash against South Africa.

Talking about Samson, he said, 'This is the moment you live for as a cricketer. The game against the West Indies was a virtual quarter-final, and the way Sanju Samson played that innings while chasing 195 in a pressure situation, he made it look so easy. That's the beauty of his batting. And again, against England, he came in to bat and made sure he was hitting every ball.'

'We all know Wankhede brings a lot to the table for the batters, so you have to try and convert even the balls that are not there to hit into boundary balls. Whatever you're thinking of scoring, you have to add 20 runs to that because it's a chasing ground, and we saw what happened there. India scored 250-plus, and at one point, we thought 250 was a good enough score in a high-pressure game, but England just fell seven runs short,' he said.

India's mystery spinner is the joint leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 13 wickets so far, but he will be entering the match after bowling his worst spell (64/1) against England. The pitch in Ahmedabad is expected to favour spinners, and Chakaravarthy can be a match-winner for India there.

On what has been lacking in Chakaravarthy's game for the last few games, the 37-year-old said, 'I feel sometimes when you get desperate or when you try to do too many things, you end up bowling too full, and that's exactly what's happening with Varun. His strength is to bowl that hard length, not the one that fast bowlers bowl, but for a spinner, the good length where the bounce is around knee-high.'

'Because of his pace, if the batter is not picking him up from the hand, it becomes really difficult as he's so quick off the surface. But when you are a little off the radar, then you go for plenty, and this is what's been happening with Varun Chakaravarthy in the last couple of games. Either he's too full or too short, and with this kind of pace, it becomes easier for the batter to when the bounce is so true on the surface,' he concluded. (ANI)