Across the nation, cricket fans are making plans and gearing up for the India v New Zealand T20 final in Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, Delhi is already seeing record-breaking heat. DW has more. India to clash with New Zealand for the T20 World Cup trophy in Ahmedabad India's foreign ministry says thousands of Indians returned from Gulf nations over last week Parts of India witness above normal heat in first week of March Follow here for the top headlines out of India on Sunday, March 8: 52,000 Indians return safely from Gulf nations: India's Foreign Ministry More than 52,000 Indians have returned to the country from the Gulf region over the last week, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, while it continues to monitor the conflict in the Middle East. "Following the partial opening of the airspace across the region in the last few days, Indian and foreign airlines are operating commercial flights, including non-scheduled flights, to enable the return of Indian passengers who were in Transit or on short-term visas," the statement said, adding that more flights are planned in the coming days. The ministry advised Indians in Gulf countries where commercial flights are unavailable contact their local embassy for information. The Indian government "remains engaged with the governments across the region to work towards facilitating all those in need of assistance," it said. Earlier this week, some Indians stranded in Dubai told DW that the Indian embassy had directed them to available commercial flights, information they said was also available online. One young Indian couple, who finally returned to India on Saturday, said they managed to get on a flight after days of calling commercial airlines directly. T20 World Cup final: India eyes trophy in match against New Zealand Defending champion and co-host India will play New Zealand later today in Ahmedabad, hoping to lift the T20 World Cup trophy for the third time. The match will begin at 7pm IST (13:30 GMT) at India's largest stadium, the Narendra Modi Stadium. It can hold over 130,000 fans, some of whom have traveled across the country to witness the action. Hundreds of millions more are expected to tun in on television. For the Indian cricket team, expectations are sky high. "There will definitely be pressure and nerves, especially playing in India and going for the title," said Suryakumar Yadav, captain of the Indian team, after the team's nerve-shredding seven-run win over England in the semifinal. "But the boys and the whole support staff are excited as well," he said. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) posted snapshots of Team India's final practice before the big night. India had to win three consecutive knockouts to reach the final after suffering a massive defeat to South Africa earlier in the tournament. But for India and its fans, there's added pressure. The match in Ahmedabad brings back memories for millions of a Cricket World Cup final lost to Australia two years ago. After India's win over England in the semifinal game, social media was flooded with reels of fans recalling the heartbreak. It remains to be seen if the cricket team can redeem that loss and heal that heartbreak for Indian fans. Welcome to our coverage Good morning! Welcome to DW's India blog — where we round up the day's biggest headlines from across the country. Today, cricket fans are keenly awaiting the T20 World Cup final where the Indian team will face New Zealand for the trophy. In New Delhi and other cities, friends and families are making plans to watch the finals together and (hopefully) celebrate after. Meanwhile, we're coming straight off the Raisina Dialogue 2026, which ended on Saturday. On the last day of the geopolitical forum, India's Foreign Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar confirmed that an Iranian warship, the IRIS Lavan, had been docked in the sourthern port city of Kochi since earlier this week. He said the vessel asked to dock due to technical issues and India granted it permission on March 1, even amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Stick with us as we break down the day's news for you.