Ahmedabad, March 8 Led by Sanju Samson (89), the defending champions, India, put on a spectacular performance to score a massive 255 for five in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand here on Sunday.
The New Zealand bowlers were completely out of sorts after inviting India to bat in the winner-takes-all match, with Samson and Abhishek Sharma (52) dominating from the start, smashing boundaries and sixes all over the ground.
They put on a quick 98-run stand in just 7.1 overs, providing a solid platform for the subsequent batsmen. Ishan Kishan continued the good work with a brisk 54 off 25 balls.
With authority and little respect for the Kiwi bowlers, India crossed the 200-run mark in 15 overs.
However, New Zealand managed to slow down the scoring by dismissing Samson, Kishan, and captain Suryakumar Yadav (0) in quick succession. Pacer James Neesham took all three wickets in the 16th over, narrowly preventing India from winning.
Hardik Pandya (18) could not contribute significantly, but Shivam Dube (26 not out) provided a brilliant finish, scoring 24 runs in the final over bowled by Neesham.
India managed 52 runs in the last five overs, thanks to Dube's impressive innings. This was the highest score ever recorded in a T20 World Cup final.
Brief Scores:
India: 255 for 5 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 89, Ishan Kishan 54, Abhishek Sharma 52; James Neesham 3/46).
