India produced a dominant all-round performance to defeat New Zealand by 96 runs and claim their third T20 World Cup title at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. A powerful batting display followed by a clinical bowling effort ensured the hosts successfully defended their crown in front of a sea of blue in the stands.
After being asked to bat first, India piled up a massive 255 for 5, powered by half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson. Abhishek set the tone early with a blistering 52 from just 18 balls, registering the fastest fifty in a T20 World Cup knockout match. His explosive hitting helped India race to 92 without loss in the powerplay.
Samson continued his remarkable run of form with a commanding 89, striking cleanly through the middle overs and keeping the scoreboard moving at a rapid pace. Kishan complemented him perfectly, smashing a 23-ball 54 that included a series of powerful hits over midwicket as India surged toward a daunting total.
New Zealand briefly pulled things back when Jimmy Neesham claimed three wickets in quick succession during the death overs. However, Shivam Dube finished the innings in style, hammering 24 runs in the final over to push India past the 250 mark.
Chasing 256, New Zealand never recovered after early setbacks. While Tim Seifert struck a fighting 52 and captain Mitchell Santner added 43, the chase quickly lost momentum.
India’s bowlers dominated, led by Jasprit Bumrah, whose brilliant spell of 4 for 15 dismantled the middle order. Axar Patel supported him with 3 for 27 as New Zealand were bowled out for 159.
The emphatic victory made India the first team to retain the T20 World Cup title, sealing another memorable moment for the hosts and underlining their dominance in the shortest format.