The Top Order Cricket Podcast

In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which was played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad between the Black Caps of New Zealand and the 2024 champions India.

We start with our instant reactions to India's dominant performance that made them the first team to win back-to-back titles at the Men's T20 World Cup. It's a tough one as Black Caps fans, but all credit to India for the way they played without fear in three crucial matches to finish the tournament and go all the way.

There's praise for Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan at the top of the order, as we wonder what - if anything - the Black Caps could have done to stop the Indian batting blitz. For New Zealand there was a brief moment of joy when Jimmy Neesham grabbed three wickets in an over, but Shivam Dube's flurry to finish meant the home side took all the momentum into the innings break.

Tim Seifert made a nice start, but once Axar Patel struck with the key wickets of Finn Allen and then Glenn Phillips, it was always going to be tough work for the Kiwis. Jasprit Bumrah finished with 4-15 to claim the player of the match, while Sanju Samson was named player of the tournament.

So there we have it - a month of high-quality cricket and plenty of fun for us on the show. New Zealand hearts broken again and India well deserved back-to-back champions in this edition of the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

We'll be back to regular programming at the weekend to look back at the tournament and look ahead to what's next. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

0:35 New Zealand v South Africa

25:15 India v England preview

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n this episode of the show we’ll review the aftermath of a brutal display of batting from both England and India which saw 499 runs scored in a T20 semi final where India prevailed by 7 runs thanks to 89 from Sanju Samson and a world class bowling performance from Jasprit Bumrah who was the only bowler to concede less than 9 runs an over in the contest.

We also look forward to the final on Sunday with Binksy trying to goad Raj into admitting New Zealand have the momentum from their crushing victory over South Africa.

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro
2:40 India Innings
11:29 England Innings
23:32 Where next for England
25:49 The Final
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In this episode of the show, Baldy and Stu look back at the first semifinal of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which was played at Eden Gardens between the Black Caps of New Zealand and the Proteas from South Africa.

We start with our instant reactions to a remarkable reversal of form as New Zealand crushed South Africa thanks to an excellent bowling performance and a dominant display by the openers, highlighted by Finn Allen's record-breaking century from just 33 balls.

There's praise for the bowling group of Cole McConchie, Lockie Ferguson, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry and Jimmy Neesham, and we re-live the incredible hitting on show as Finn Allen and Tim Seifert powered New Zealand to a nine-wicket win inside 13 overs. We also reflect on South Africa's disappointment after what had been such a fantastic tournament for them up until this game.

To round out the show, we also look ahead to the second semifinal between England and India at Wankhede Stadium. Who will meet the Kiwis in Ahmedabad on Sunday?

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening.

0:00 Intro

0:35 New Zealand v South Africa

25:15 India v England preview

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We have our semi-finalists as the last episodes of the drama series that is the Super8 stage concluded with a double feature overnight as South Africa put away Zimbabwe and India got home in their game against the West Indies.

The India x West Indies was a virtual quarter-final decided by one man as Sanju Samson played the innings of a lifetime to anchor India in chasing down 199 in the final over. In a game that hung in the balance for so long a few key moments here and there proved the difference as Baldy and Raj broke down terrific batting performances by both sides. In an interesting aside Baldy and Raj break down the balance of the Indian side going forward as Axar went unused with the bat and only five bowlers were used. Is there another gear that India can go to with a tweak to their lineup? For the West Indies this concludes a terrific tournament for them - they've come oh so close to a semi-final berth but it is India that is through to the semis against England.

We also recap the South Africa x Zimbabwe encounter. South Africa made several changes all of which seemed to pay off against Zimbabwe as Maphaka and Nortje made telling inroads with the ball early. Sikanda Raza did everything to keep Zimbabwe hopes alive but South Africa proved too strong with too many options in the end.

Looking ahead to the semi-finals. What needs to go right for New Zealand to get ahead of South Africa? Baldy seems to think that Phillips will have something to say. The showdown at the top of the order between Seifert and Allen versus the length bowling of Ngidi and Rabada looms as a key moment. For India and England, which superstars from either side will step up in what promises to be an enticing affair? Will we see the best of Buttler and Abishek who have been quiet all tournament?

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening.
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Wow. What a nail-biting encounter between Sri Lanka and Pakistan overnight. From record-breaking partnerships, to stunning collapses for both teams, to Shaheen Shah Afridi and Dasun Shanaka playing out a memorable last over, this match had everything. There was so much to talk about - almost too much for Raj and Baldy to handle in the immediate aftermath of a match that had so much to play for for Pakistan. In the end, Sri Lanka getting past 147 with a few overs to spare had Pakistan hopes vanquished and New Zealand hopes alive as the semi-finalists have been decided and Stu's blood pressure can creep back down to normal levels.

What looms is a potential encounter in the semi-finals between New Zealand and South Africa. With Matt Henry heading home temporarily there's a little up in the air for New Zealand. Raj and Baldy dissect their chances and what will need to go right for New Zealand as they head back to India for the business end of the tournament.

Before we get to the semi-finals there's the small matter* of the final Group 1 games between South Africa and Zimbabwe and India and the West Indies. For South Africa, it's got to be business as usual, but Zimbabwe have proven themselves dangerous and will play with nothing to lose. Their key players have already stood tall in the tournament to date and this is no lay down misere for South Africa. But the India versus the West Indies game is the big one - in essence a Quarter Final where the winner stay on and the loser exits the tournament. Do West Indies change their team? Should Hossein come into the line-up for the West Indies? Will Roston Chase play given how many left-handers India have? Raj and Baldy break down all the things that will need to go right for the West Indies to stop this Indian juggernaut from rolling through to the knockouts.

* Kidding - these games are a huge deal. We can't wait.

We'll be back in your feed again tomorrow with the next instalment of our T20 World Cup coverage. Until then please take the time to give us a like, follow, share or subscribe on all our channels (@toporderpod on Twitter & Facebook, and @thetoporderpodcast on Instagram & YouTube) and a (5-Star!) review at your favourite podcast provider, or tell a friend to download. It really helps others find the show and is the best thing you can do to support us. You can also find all our written content, including our Hall of Fame series, at our website.

You can also dip back into our guest episodes - including conversations with Mike Hesson, Shane Bond and Mike Hussey, current players such as Matt Henry, Sophie Devine and Ish Sodhi, coaches Gary Stead, Jeetan Patel and Luke Wright, as well as Barry Richards, Frankie Mackay, Bharat Sundaresan and many more fascinating people from all across the cricketing world.

And if you'd like to reach out to us with feedback, questions or guest suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. Thanks for listening.
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