Men in Blue Win Third T20 World Cup With Biggest Final Margin in Tournament History

Advertisment

India became the first team in history to successfully defend the ICC Men's T20 World Cup title, routing New Zealand by 96 runs in a one-sided final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

The 96-run margin is India's largest victory in T20 World Cup history, bettering their previous record against Namibia. A packed crowd of 86,000 fans witnessed the Men in Blue cement their status as the greatest T20 side in the world.

India's batting lineup posted 255/5 in 20 overs, the highest score ever recorded in a T20 World Cup final. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner had won the toss and elected to field, a decision that quickly proved costly.

Advertisment

Abhishek Sharma was the early aggressor, bringing up the tournament's fastest half-century in just 18 balls. Sanju Samson anchored the innings with a masterclass 89 off 46 balls, becoming only the second batter in T20 World Cup history to score three consecutive 80-plus innings. The two became the first opening pair to post a 50-plus stand in a World Cup final.

Ishan Kishan took over from there, firing a rapid half-century to push India past 250. Shivam Dube's brutal hitting in the final over sealed the mammoth total.

New Zealand's chase collapsed from the opening over. Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, and Glenn Phillips all fell cheaply, leaving the Black Caps at 52 for 3 at the end of the powerplay. Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah led a clinical bowling display, dismantling New Zealand's middle order with pace and precision.

Advertisment

Tim Seifert offered the only real resistance with a fighting fifty, but the rest of the lineup never threatened India's grip on the match.

India became the first team to win three T20 World Cup titles. For New Zealand, it was a fifth white-ball final defeat in 11 years, with the elusive ICC trophy still out of reach.