India hammer New Zealand by 96 runs to retain T20 World Cup crown
Sanju Samson smashed 89 off 46 balls, Abhishek Sharma blitzed 52 off 21 and Ishan Kishan cracked 54 off 25 as India piled up 255 for five, the highest total in a T20 World Cup final. Jasprit Bumrah then ripped through New Zealand's top order with figures of four for 15, earning the Player of the Match award as India romped home.
Samson and Abhishek set the tone
Samson and Abhishek put on 98 for the opening wicket at a run rate well above 12 an over. Abhishek was the more aggressive early on, reaching his fifty off just 18 balls, the fastest of the entire tournament. He hammered six fours and three sixes before James Neesham got him in the 16th over.
Samson carried on. He put on 105 with Kishan for the second wicket, driving and pulling anything off length. His 89, which included five fours and eight sixes, was the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final, surpassing the 85 shared by Marlon Samuels and Kane Williamson. Kishan matched him blow for blow with a half-century of his own, keeping the scoreboard rattling along until both fell in quick succession in the final overs.
Dube's late fireworks
Shivam Dube made sure the finish was brutal. He smashed an unbeaten 26 off just eight balls, plundering 24 runs from the final over bowled by Neesham to push India past 250. Neesham finished with three for 46, the only New Zealand bowler to come away with any credit.
Bumrah tears through New Zealand
Chasing 256 was always going to be close to impossible, and Bumrah made sure of it. He removed Rachin Ravindra in his first over, then came back to knock over James Neesham, Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner in the closing stages to finish with four for 15 from four overs.
Axar Patel took three for 27 from his three overs, including the scalps of Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips. Tim Seifert hit a brisk 52 off 26 balls and Santner made 43, but there was no sustained resistance. New Zealand were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs.
A historic night for Indian cricket
Suryakumar Yadav became the fourth Indian captain to lift a men's cricket World Cup trophy, joining Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. India are the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cups and it's their first time to win the tournament as the host.
Samson was named Player of the Tournament for his performances across the competition. India's 2026 triumph, following their titles in 2007 and 2024, makes them the most successful team in T20 World Cup history with three titles. See the full scorecard.
