T20 World Cup: Samson and Bumrah drive India to glory
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India became the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cups as they hammered New Zealand by 96 runs in Ahmedabad.
Put in to bat by New Zealand, India set about setting the Black Caps a mammoth target on Sunday.
Sanju Samson (89) starred, while fellow opener Abhishek Sharma plundered 52 from just 21 deliveries in a 98-run first-wicket stand.
Ishan Kishan (54 from 25 balls) then came in and, alongside Samson, steered India to 203 before the latter was dismissed by James Neesham (3-46).
89 - @IamSanjuSamson’s 89 is the highest score by a men's batter in an @T20WorldCup Final; having also scored 89 (vs England), he becomes just the 3rd batter after Shahid Afridi (2009) and Virat Kohli (2014) to record 50+ scores in both SF and Final of the same edition. Class. pic.twitter.com/Jug35F9VJg
— OptaJeev (@OptaJeev) March 8, 2026
Neesham did for Kishan in the same over, but by then it was just a matter of damage limitation for New Zealand.
Hardik Pandya (18) and Suryakumar Yadav (0) were sent packing, but a late flurry from Shivam Dube (26) saw India reach 255-5.
India's bowlers then took centre stage. Finn Allen (9), Rachin Ravindra (1) and Glenn Phillips (5) all fell in the powerplay.
Axar Patel took 3-27 and Kishan claimed a pair of brilliant catches as New Zealand's batters continued to fall by the wayside, with Tim Seifert (52) and Mitchell Santner (43) the only players to offer any resistance.
Bumrah soon took charge, adding to his earlier dismissal of Ravindra by bowling Neesham, Matt Henry (0) and Santner with some sublime slower balls.
And the victory was complete at the end of the 19th over when Abhishek Sharma (1-5) drew a slice out of Jacob Duffy (3), with Tilak Varma taking a fine catch on the boundary.
Data Debrief: India make history
That is now three T20 World Cup triumphs for India, who became not only the first team to win the tournament back-to-back, but also the first side to win as hosts.
There were also new tournament high marks set by India's star performers.
Samson's knock represents a record in the T20 World Cup final. Having also scored 89 v England in the last four, he became just the third batter, after Shahid Afridi (2009) and Virat Kohli (2014), to record 50+ scores in both the semis and final of the same edition of the competition.
Bumrah's 4-15, meanwhile, are the best bowling figures in a T20 World Cup final.
