India clinch T20 World Cup at home: Sanju Samson's ton near-miss seals 96-run win
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India scripted history as the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, thrashing New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. Suryakumar Yadav's side claimed a record third title before a packed 90,000-strong crowd at the world's largest cricket venue on Sunday, banishing memories of their 50-over World Cup heartbreak at the same ground two years ago.
Defending champions India fired 255-5 in 20 overs, powered by Sanju Samson's 89 off 46 balls—the tournament's third-highest T20 World Cup total—and Abhishek Sharma's 52 off 21. Ishan Kishan added a brisk 54 off 25 as the openers demolished New Zealand's pace attack, racing to 50 in the fourth over and piling on 65 more in overs four to six. Abhishek's 18-ball fifty featured three sixes and six fours before Rachin Ravindra caught him behind.
Samson bludgeoned his half-century off 33 balls, hammering three sixes and a four off Lockie Ferguson. India hit 200 in the 15th over, but Jimmy Neesham's triple-wicket maiden slowed the charge—Samson, Kishan, and Suryakumar fell for just one run combined. Hardik Pandya made 18 before Shivam Dube's 24-run final over sealed the highest T20 World Cup final total ever.
New Zealand, opting to field after winning the toss, crumbled chasing 256. They lost three wickets in the powerplay, slumping to 47-3: Axar Patel removed Finn Allen (9) and Glenn Phillips (5), while Bumrah yorked Rachin Ravindra (1) thanks to Kishan’s spectacular diving catch. Tim Seifert's boundaries offered hope, but Varun Chakravarthy dismissed him in the ninth over.
Mitchell Santner and Daryl Mitchell's 52-run stand ended when Patel claimed Mitchell, leaving New Zealand at six down. Bumrah's 4-15 in four overs—player of the final—extinguished the chase, with Abhishek's part-time spin trapping Jacob Duffy to bowl NZ out for 159. Axar finished with 3-27 off three overs.
Samson earned player of the tournament honors as India became the first to defend the T20 World Cup trophy. New Zealand's final curse continues, winless in both appearances.