Cricket: India Defeat New Zealand to Win Third T20 World Cup Title

By Laavya Kabra 

Ahmedabad, 8th March 2026: India defeated New Zealand to win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title for the third time, securing a historic victory at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The triumph also made India the first host nation to win the T20 World Cup and the first team to successfully defend the title by winning the tournament consecutively.

After winning the toss, New Zealand opted to bowl first. Batting first, India posted a record total of 255 for 5 in the T20 World Cup final — the highest score ever recorded in the summit clash of the tournament.

Sanju Samson was the standout performer for India, scoring 89 runs, the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final. Ishan Kishan contributed 54 runs while Abhishek Sharma added 52, helping India build a formidable total. Shivam Dube provided a late boost with a quickfire 26 runs off just eight balls. For New Zealand, Jimmy Neesham picked up three wickets.

Chasing the massive target, New Zealand failed to get a strong start. Tim Seifert scored 52 runs while captain Mitchell Santner made 43, but the rest of the batting line-up struggled against the Indian bowling attack. The New Zealand team was bowled out for 159 runs in 19 overs, handing them the biggest defeat in terms of runs in a T20 World Cup final.

The match also witnessed several notable records during India’s innings. The Indian team reached the 100-run mark in just 7.2 overs, the fastest to reach 100 runs in the knockout stage of a T20 World Cup match.

India also equalled the highest powerplay score in T20 World Cup history. The team matched the record of 92 for 1 set by West Indies during the 2024 T20 World Cup.

With his 89-run innings, Samson set a new record for the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final, surpassing the previous record of 85 runs by Marlon Samuels of West Indies.

Playing XI

India: Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy.

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Jimmy Neesham, Lockie Ferguson.