March 08, New Delhi – India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final of the 2026 T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad, winning the title for the third time and becoming the first team to win the trophy on home soil.
Batting first, India posted a massive 255/5 in 20 overs. In reply, New Zealand was bowled out for 159 in 19 overs, failing to chase the target.
New Zealand struggled early, losing Finn Allen for 9, Rachin Ravindra for 1, Glenn Phillips for 5, and Mark Chapman for 3. Daryl Mitchell managed just 17 runs. Captain Mitchell Santner scored 43 off 35 balls, while Tim Seifert made 52 off 26 balls, but frequent wickets prevented a big total.
India's bowlers dominated, with Jasprit Bumrah taking 4 wickets for 15 runs in 4 overs, Axar Patel claiming 3, and Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy picking one each.
India's innings was powered by Sanju Samson, who scored a brilliant 89 off 46 balls, setting the record for the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final. Abhishek Sharma contributed 52 off 21 balls, adding 98 runs with Samson for the first wicket. Ishan Kishan scored 54 off 25 balls, and Shivam Dube added an unbeaten 26 off 8 balls in the final overs to take India to 255, the highest total in a T20 World Cup knockout match.
With this win, India, which previously won the T20 World Cup in 2007 and 2024, became the first team to win the title consecutively and claim the championship on home soil.
(Photo Source: @ICC)
