India blow away New Zealand by 96 runs to retain T20 World Cup

• First team to win three T20 World Cup titles

AHMEDABAD: India became the first team to win three T20 World Cup titles (2007, 2024 and 2026), the first to defend their title and the first team to win at home when they beat New Zealand by 96 runs in a totally lopsided final played against a crowd of 100,000 at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Sunday.

The venue was the scene of their biggest heartbreaks in 2023 when they lost the Cricket World Cup final to Australia. But yesterday India who came into this tournament as favourites lived up to that tag in style and got their much awaited crowning moment.

It was one way traffic all the way once India had posted a huge score of 255-5 after being asked to bat first. New Zealand never got a foothold in the game once the Indian openers went on a rampage. Both Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma took the final by storm by smashing 92 in the powerplay.

For New Zealand it was a bad day in office as they were bowled out in 19 overs for 159. Their bowling plans fell apart, and apart from Tim Seifert’s fighting fifty – 52 off 26 balls (2 fours, 5 sixes), their batters never came close to giving India anything to worry about. They fell short playing in their fifth white-ball final in 11 years.

India’s bowlers led by Jasprit Bumrah (4/15) and Axar Patel (3/27) did not allow New Zealand to put up any sort of challenge as they kept on picking up wickets at regular intervals and the asking kept on rising to astronomical proportions. Player of the Match Bumrah with his haul of four wickets went past Lasith Malinga (38 wickets) for the most wickets taken by a fast bowler in T20 World Cups.

India finished with the third highest team total in a T20 World Cup and the highest T20 score in Ahmedabad when they posted a huge 255-5. At one stage it looked like India would get to 280-290, but thanks to a fine spell from James Neesham who took 3 wickets in one over which enabled New Zealand to pull things back. The top-three of the Indian batting, came good.  Sanju Samson hit the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup – 89 off 46 balls (5 fours, 8 sixes), surpassing 85* and 85 by Marlon Samuels and Kane Williamson in 2016 and 2021 respectively. He was joined by Abishek Sharma - 52 off 21 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes) and Ishan Kishan (54 off 25 balls, 4 fours, 4 sixes)

The first two overs India dealt calmly but the third saw the floodgates open. Mitchell Santner decided to try Jacob Duffy and then all the carnage broke loose. Runs and boundaries flowed as New Zealand failed to stop the momentum. Was it a tactical error from Santner in not giving Matt Henry or Glenn Phillips another over when they had bowled their opening overs so well? When Henry eventually came back for his second over, he went for the slower-balls instead of seam-up and got punished. All the slower-balls were picked up and smashed by the top-three. It was a tremendous effort from India despite them losing their way in the Neesham over. Shivam Dube with a fine cameo (26* off 8 balls) ensured India ended the innings on a high as 24 came off the last over. With three consecutive fifties Samson took the Player of the Series award. – [ST]

Scores: 

India 255-5 (20) (Sanju Samson 89, Abishek Sharma 52, Ishan Kishan 54, Shivam Dube 26*, James Neesham 3/46)

New Zealand 159 (19) (Tim Seifert 52, Mitchell Santner 43, Axar Patel 3/27, Jasprit Bumrah 4/15)