India produced a commanding all-round display to defeat New Zealand by 96 runs and lift their third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad today. The victory marked India’s second consecutive triumph in the tournament after their title win against South Africa in 2024.
Chasing a daunting target of 256, New Zealand struggled to recover from early setbacks and eventually succumbed to sustained pressure from the Indian bowling attack. Jasprit Bumrah led the charge with a superb spell of four wickets for 15 runs in his four overs, while Axar Patel claimed three wickets to dismantle the Kiwi batting line-up.
The emphatic victory triggered jubilant scenes inside the packed stadium. Indian players walked around the ground acknowledging the roaring crowd as thousands of fans waved the tricolour and sang Vande Mataram, celebrating another historic moment in Indian cricket.
Explosive start lays foundation for massive total
Earlier, India posted a formidable 255 for five in their 20 overs after New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl first in the summit clash, which marked India’s fourth appearance in a T20 World Cup final.
The Indian innings began with a blistering opening partnership between Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, who attacked the New Zealand bowlers from the outset.
Abhishek set the tone early with a breathtaking display of power hitting. He brought up the fastest half-century of the tournament in just 18 deliveries and eventually scored 52 off 21 balls before edging a delivery behind in the eighth over.
Samson then took centre stage with one of the defining knocks of the final. The right-hander compiled a fluent 89 off 46 deliveries and accelerated dramatically during the middle overs, including a sequence of three consecutive sixes in the 14th over that pushed India close to the 200-run mark.
Ishan Kishan ensured the momentum never dipped. Batting at number three, he raced to a half-century in just 23 balls as India crossed the 200 mark in the 15th over.
Although New Zealand managed to pick up a few wickets towards the end, the late surge from Shivam Dube ensured the total crossed the 250-run mark. Dube struck an unbeaten 26 off only eight deliveries in the final over, smashing three fours and two sixes to lift India to the third-highest total in a T20 World Cup match and the highest score recorded at the Ahmedabad venue.
Bowlers tighten grip on New Zealand chase
New Zealand’s chase began with intent but quickly lost momentum as India struck at regular intervals. Tim Seifert provided the only sustained resistance early on, reaching a rapid half-century in 23 balls and briefly counter-attacking the Indian bowlers.
However, wickets continued to fall at the other end. Axar Patel removed Finn Allen early before bowling Glenn Phillips, while Jasprit Bumrah delivered a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Rachin Ravindra after a superb boundary catch by Ishan Kishan.
At the halfway stage of their innings, New Zealand were already struggling at 88 for five and required 168 runs from the final 10 overs.
Bumrah seals a dominant victory
India tightened their grip further in the closing phase as the required run rate climbed beyond reach. Hardik Pandya dismissed Mark Chapman, while Varun Chakravarthy removed Seifert to deepen New Zealand’s troubles.
Bumrah then delivered the decisive spell of the night. His precise, slow yorkers dismantled the lower order as he removed James Neesham and Matt Henry in quick succession, narrowly missing a hat-trick.
By the 18th over, New Zealand had slumped to 154 for nine, with captain Mitchell Santner among Bumrah’s victims.
The end came in the 19th over when Abhishek Sharma, who had earlier set the tone with the bat, claimed the final wicket to complete a comprehensive Indian victory.
With both bat and ball firing in unison, India capped their campaign with a dominant performance that underlined their authority in the format and secured another landmark chapter in the country’s T20 World Cup history.
