Last Updated on 1 month ago by Charbel Coorey
If a loss could prove to be a blessing in diguise, then India’s defeat against South Africa in the Super Eights takes the gold medal. India have been near faultless since, mixing the sublime and extraordinary to lift a record third men’s T20 World Cup title courtesy of a clinical, crushing 96-run win over New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
The final, against a very capable side, was as one sided as anyone could have imagined. The Black Caps kept Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson relatively quiet in the first two overs, but it was utter carnage thereafter as India’s skill took over. After scoring 12-0 in the opening 12 deliveries, India raced to 92-0 by the end of the powerplay and the writing was on the wall.
Abhishek Sharma comes good in the final to give India rapid start
Abhishek Sharma, who had scored just 89 runs in his previous seven innings, delivered in the biggest match. He brought up a swushbuckling half-century off just 19 balls to send India on their way.
“I think we still believe in him and we feel that I think finally is going to be his day I think kind of feel that he’s definitely going to come really great on the last day,” said Sanju Samson after the semi-final against England. And he was right.
Abhishek slammed six fours and three sixes in his 21-ball stay. It gave India the perfect platform to go big, and their lineup is too good to allow for such a start to go to waste.
Sanju Samson continues remarkable run of form as Ishan Kishan and Shivam Dube also lead India to mammoth 255/5
Sanju Samson continued his generational run of form with 89 off 46 balls, winning the player of the tournament award despite playing just five matches. Originally left out of India’s starting XI after a poor series against New Zealand, Samson owned the big matches, scoring 275 runs off 138 balls in total against West Indies, England and New Zealand.
Four dots to kick off the final, with nemesis Matt Henry nipping the ball around, could have had Samson nervous. The opener decided he had enough by the fifth ball, stepping down and launching a glorious boundary over mid-on. From there, he was in total control, finishing with a strike rate of 193.47 including five fours and eight sixes.
Like in the semi-final against England, Samson was supported by the superb Ishan Kishan. The left-hander is striking at 207 in T20Is this year, and he showed why in the final with a dynamic innings. His 25 balls yielded 54 runs, keeping India well on course for a big score.
However, both Samson and Kishan were dismissed in the 16th over to give New Zealand hope of restricting India in the final four overs. Hardik Pandya (18 off 13) and Suryakumar Yadav (0 off 1) couldn’t get going. With 10 deliveries left, Shivam Dube wrote another chapter in the excellent story that is his T20 World Cup campaign, smashing 26 off eight balls to take India to 255.
Jasprit Bumrah genius on show again as Axar Patel also flattens New Zealand
New Zealand needed another Finn Allen masterclass. Anything like his 100 off 33 balls in the semi-final would’ve given the Black Caps a chance. Shivam Dube dropped him early, and there was a feeling he can make the opposition pay.
However, it was only Tim Seifert (52 off 26 balls) who produced anything of note for New Zealand. Allen was out early to the brilliant Axar Patel, who took 3/27 including the big wicket of Glenn Phillips as well.
Along with Axar, the great Jasprit Bumrah also bowled two overs in the powerplay. The thinking that limiting New Zealand in the powerplay would give the other bowlers plenty of breathing room. Bumrah’s genius was on full display from the get go, mixing his pace and lengths magnificently with the dipping slower ball yorkers a sight to behold. Shaun Marsh would know a thing or two about those.
Bumrah finished with 4/15 and the player of the match award. In four T20 World Cups, Bumrah boasts an extraordinary economy rate of 5.66. India may have a great, powerful batting lineup, but it is Bumrah who is their cheat code as he also led India to a remarkable, come-from-behind win in the 2024 final.
Reactions: India win third men’s T20 World Cup title with dominant display in the final
With the victory, India achieved a series of firsts.
- Only nation to win three men’s T20 World Cup titles.
- First team to win back-to-back men’s titles.
- First team to win a men’s T20 World Cup title on home soil.
Here are some of the reactions to their dominant win.
Fans rate Jasprit Bumrah as one of the best bowlers they’ve ever seen
“Jasprit Bumrah has now bowled in four T20 World Cups. His economy rate is 5.66. Imagine being so good that even conceding a single increases your economy,” wrote Sparsh Telang on X (formerly Twitter).
“Bumrah is cricket’s biggest cheatcode. In a landscape dominated by batters, the most imapactful player in the sport is a bowler. And it isn’t even close,” wrote Neal Gardner.
Sanju Samson leads the way as India’s batting fires: Praise also for Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma
“275 runs in 138 balls across three knockout matches in a World Cup is extraordinary from Sanju Samson. He’s not just arrived on the big stage. He’s owned it,” wrote Cricbuzz’s Bharat Sundaresan.
Praise for Axar Patel and Shivam Dube, who delivered clutch performances in the big games
“Axar Patel’s three wicket haul is the most underrated performance of the T20 World Cup final. His fielding in the semi was even better. What a clutch cricketer he has been for India in the shortest format,” wrote Behram Qazi.
Fans praise India for another title and New Zealand left to rue another defeat at an ICC white-ball event
“The last time India Men played a T20 series/tournament but not won it was in August 2023. They have bossed bilaterals, won the Asia Cup undefeated, and won two T20 World Cups while losing a single game. The greatest side in the history of this fickle format,” wrote Abhishek Mukherjee.
“There’s an old saying: you shouldn’t judge a pitch until both teams have batted on it. Yes, it was good for batting, but it wasn’t the road India’s batters made it look like. Sometimes you just have to appreciate the skill. New Zealand didn’t bowl well either,” wrote Mohsin Kamal.
 to India's thumping 96-run win over New Zealand in the 2026 T20 World Cup Final in Ahmedabad.){kind=link}