'They could pick three sides': New Zealand's Glenn Phillips on India's depth before T20 World Cup final

New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips on Friday pointed to the contrast in scale between the two finalists ahead of the T20 World Cup final against India on Sunday, saying that for a country with a population of just over five million, competing against a cricket power like India is an achievement in itself.

India, with a population of more than 1.4 billion, has a large pool of players to choose from and could even field multiple teams of similar strength, Phillips said while speaking about the challenge awaiting New Zealand in the title clash.




"Obviously, we have got a few less people in our country, to have the luxury of choosing from, which means obviously our high-performance program has to be very specific and catered for the population that we've got," Phillips said during an interaction at the Narendra Modi Stadium ahead of New Zealand’s training session, as cited by news agency PTI.

Phillips, regarded as one of the better fielders in international cricket, also drew attention to the expectations surrounding the Indian team before the final, which will be played in front of a large home crowd.

New Zealand’s population is around 5.36 million (53.6 lakh), which is about four million fewer than the estimated population of Ahmedabad city alone, which stands at around 9.3 million.

"But obviously, the talent that comes out of India is phenomenal. And, you know, they could probably pick three sides that would compete just as evenly in this World Cup."

"So for us to go out and compete with teams around the world, with such a small population is fantastic," Phillips said.

India will face New Zealand in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday as they aim to achieve several milestones. They are looking to become the first host nation to win the T20 World Cup, the first team to defend the title and the first side to win three T20 World Cup trophies.

India reached the final after beating England in the semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.

Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs ENG Live Score updates, including the full schedule, teams, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.