India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team: India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday to successfully defend its title and become the first team in tournament history to win back-to-back T20 World Cups. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India also became the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil after a dominant performance in front of a packed crowd of more than 100,000 spectators.
After losing the toss and being asked to bat, India’s openers launched an aggressive start. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson took full advantage of the powerplay restrictions, helping India race to 92 runs in the first six overs.
Sharma scored his first half-century of the tournament before being dismissed for 52 off 21 balls. Samson continued the attacking momentum, scoring 89 off 46 deliveries with five fours and eight sixes.
The knock marked Samson’s third consecutive half-century in the tournament and helped him surpass Virat Kohli as the highest run-scorer by an Indian in a single T20 World Cup campaign.
Ishan Kishan added to the scoring with a quick 54 as India appeared set for a massive total. New Zealand briefly regained control when James Neesham claimed three wickets in a single over.
However, Shivam Dube provided a powerful finish, scoring 26 off just eight balls, including 24 runs in the final over, as India finished with 255 for 5 — the highest total in a T20 World Cup final.
Chasing a daunting target of 256, New Zealand lost early wickets in the powerplay. Finn Allen was dismissed for nine after being dropped earlier, while Tim Seifert provided some resistance with a 26-ball half-century before being caught by Kishan off Varun Chakaravarthy.
New Zealand’s middle order struggled to build partnerships, with four of the top five batters falling for single-digit scores. Captain Mitchell Santner attempted to stabilize the innings with 43 off 35 balls.
India’s bowlers maintained pressure throughout the chase. Jasprit Bumrah led the attack with figures of 4 for 15 in four overs, while Axar Patel claimed three wickets to seal a convincing victory.
The win capped a dominant campaign for India, which remained one of the strongest teams throughout the tournament and successfully defended its T20 World Cup crown.
