India claim 3rd T20 World Cup trophy, set records

India on Sunday night (March 8) created history with an unprecedented third T20 World Cup trophy by thrashing New Zealand by 96 runs in the final in Ahmedabad

Suryakumar Yadav’s men became the first men’s international team to win successive T20 World Cup titles and also the first to claim the trophy on home turf.

Samson-Abhishek blazing stand

Sanju Samson (89 off 46 balls) and Abhishek Sharma (52 off 21 balls) added 92 in Powerplay and 98 for the opening stand after a tactical blunder by Black Caps skipper Mitchell Santner led to a record score of 255 for 5.

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Having misread the pitch, Santner brought medium pacer Jacob Duffy dropping the useful off-spinner Cole McConchie, which proved to be decisive in the final outcome.

In front of 86,000 fans, the chase was out of question as New Zealand huffed and puffed its way to 159 all out as Suryakumar, the man from Mumbai's Chembur, etched his name alongside Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma in the record books.

Bumrah’s outstanding spell

Following the demolition act with the bat, Jasprit Bumrah's artistry was good enough to dash any little hopes that New Zealand players might just have harboured at the back of their minds.

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Bumrah was unreal as ever with figures of 4-0-15-4, adding to the mythical story of his career which will become folklore in years to come.

If the 2007 T20 World Cup victory was a watershed moment for Indian cricket, which gave birth to a behemoth like the IPL, the 2024 T20 World Cup win was a soothing balm to the heartbreak of the 2023 ODI World Cup final loss.

The 2026 title triumph is an assertion that in talent, India are light years ahead of other teams. This edition was never about a perfect campaign but always about finding an individual who would win it for the team.

Abhishek’s redemption

Abhishek had a very poor tournament but redeemed himself in the final. Samson's career was on the line before he played the most defining innings of his career.

The 'crazy diamond' called Bumrah bowled those block-hole deliveries whenever the team asked and Axar Patel took those crazy catches which became a game-changer.

Ishan Kishan was the sheet anchor in every game and the skipper was the binding glue with Gambhir being the back-room brain that the team needed.

When India batted, Samson scarred an awestruck New Zealand in the company of an equally destructive Abhishek, who saved his best for the last in India's record-breaking total.

And if that wasn't enough Ishan Kishan (54 off 25 balls) proved that even three can tango together as India's top three, in a superlative display, stunned New Zealand.

Union of beastly power and silken grace

Abhishek took full advantage of Santner's tactical harakiri with a 21-ball-52 but Samson's muscular effort – a dazzling 89 off 46 balls, which was a union of beastly power and silken grace, will be remembered for the times to come.

There were eight sixes – a few over long-on, a couple over square leg, down the ground, and over long-off.

Samson made Rachin Ravindra's left-arm spin, Lockie Ferguson (0/48 in 2 overs) and Matt Henry's (0/49 in 4 overs) medium pace bowling look pedestrian. It was a massacre of a good bowling attack.

After match-winning efforts against the West Indies and England, Kerala's favourite son finally silenced the Doubting Thomases, who questioned his credentials over the past decade.

18-ball fifty

After a series of flop shows and his place in the side being debated, Abhishek finally came good with liberal help from New Zealand pacers, who handed the advantage to the southpaw on a platter.

An 18-ball-50 with his signature straight sixes, and familiar bat swing, the Punjab man enjoyed the rub of the green under the floodlit Ahmedabad skyline.

Jacob Duffy's (0/42 in 3 overs) friendly medium pace became cannon fodder for Abhishek as he smashed five of his half a dozen boundaries off him.

In case of Matt Henry (1/49 in four overs), once Samson smacked him for a six slightly wide off long-on, there was no looking back. With as many as 92 runs in the powerplay, India had seized the decisive advantage.

After Rachin Ravindra (1/32 in 2 overs) removed Abhishek after a 98-run opening stand off 43 balls, Kishan kept the tempo with four sixes and as many boundaries.

(With agency inputs)