India ended their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign with a 96-run victory over New Zealand at the final game on Sunday.
The victory saw India claim back-to-back titles and their third crown in the tournament.
Sent in to bat at the Narendra Modi Stadium, India piled up 255 for five, the highest total ever recorded in a men’s T20 World Cup final.
Sanju Samson led the charge with a stunning 89, striking the ball cleanly from the outset and setting the tempo during the powerplay.
He found early support from Abhishek Sharma, who smashed 52 in a lively opening partnership.
The pair added 98 runs in just over seven overs, putting New Zealand’s bowlers under immediate pressure and rendering sections of the travelling support silent.
Ishan Kishan continued the charge with 54, keeping the scoring rate high as India raced to 92 without loss inside six overs and crossed the 200 mark before the 15th over.
The aggressive approach left the Black Caps scrambling for answers as the innings gathered relentless momentum.
Jimmy Neesham briefly offered New Zealand hope with a remarkable over that saw him dismiss Samson, Kishan and captain Suryakumar Yadav in quick succession.
Despite the sudden burst of wickets, India still finished strongly as Shivam Dube produced a late flourish to push the total beyond 250.
Chasing a daunting 256, New Zealand struggled to build their base early and slipped to 52 for three during the powerplay. India’s pace attack applied immediate pressure, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the charge with the new ball.
The required rate quickly climbed above 12 an over, and once it pushed beyond 20 with only a handful of wickets remaining, the result was all but announced.
Bumrah returned later in the innings to rip through the middle and lower order, finishing with exceptional figures of four for 15 to earn Player of the Match honours.
New Zealand never managed to form the kind of field required to threaten India’s commanding total. A few middle-order cameos may have delayed the inevitable, but the chase never gathered serious momentum.
Eventually bowled out for 159, New Zealand fell 96 runs short as India sealed another historic triumph. The victory, in addition to other achievements, made India the first side to successfully defend a men’s T20 World Cup title.
