T20 World Cup 2026: 2007, 2024, and now... 2026: Three years, three cheers! India win back-to-back T20 World Cup titles

Player of the series Sanju Samson; (right) India captain Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma (right) celebrate after winning the ICC T20 World Cup final against New Zealand, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, on Sunday. Pics/PTI

India saved their best for last, putting in a powerhouse all-round display to swat New Zealand aside and extend their lease over the T20 World Cup.

The ghosts of the final of the 50-over World Cup, also at the sprawling Narendra Modi Stadium here, were emphatically exorcised as Suryakumar Yadav's men rode on a fabulous batting display, scoreboard pressure and the versatility and penetration of their bowling group to storm to a commanding 96-run triumph.

Inserted by Mitchell Santner, India posted 255-5, their third score of 250-plus in the last four innings, on the back of half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma, who made a timely return to form, Sanju Samson, who passed fifty for the third time in a row, and Ishan Kishan, unaffected by the move down to No. 3.

Sanju Samson during his 46-ball 89 against NZ in Ahmedabad on Sunday; India's Abhishek Sharma celebrates his half-century; Ishan Kishan in full flow against New Zealand. Pics/PTI. Getty Images

Shivam Dube then helped weather a three-wicket 16th over from Jimmy Neesham by clattering the same bowler for 24 in the final over with more than 86,000 fans driving their heroes forward.

New Zealand needed a fiery start from Finn Allen and Tim Seifert. Together, the pair had put on 463 runs previously; this time, their alliance lasted only 31 runs and 16 deliveries when Axar Patel broke through, having Allen caught at long-on. It was downhill from there on for the Kiwis, who didn't string together a meaningful partnership until Daryl Mitchell and Santner put on 52 for the sixth, but the ship had sailed long before that.

Axar and Jasprit Bumrah were India's bowling heroes with three and four wickets respectively while Kishan held a special catch, running in from deep mid-wicket, tumbling forward and holding on to the ball even after it bobbed out of his hands to account for Rachin Ravindra. All this meant the Kiwis came up second best, bowled out for 159 and choosing the most inopportune time to suffer their first defeat to India at the T20 World Cup.

Abhishek and Samson helped India rattle up 92 in the first six overs. After the openers added 98, Kishan and Samson realised 105 in just 48 balls. Game over then and there.

India thus became the first team to win this competition for a third time. They are also the first side to win at home and successfully defend their crown. What a Sunday night in Ahmedabad.

255-5
No. of runs scored by India on Sunday - the highest total in a T20 World Cup final

Seven
Total number of 250-plus scores for India - the most by any team in T20s

18
No. of sixes smashed by India on Sunday - the most by any team in a T20 World Cup final

89
No. of runs scored by Sanju Samson on Sunday - the most by any player in a T20 World Cup final

24
No. of sixes smashed by Sanju Samson - the most in a T20 World Cup edition, surpassing NZ's Finn Allen (20)

Three
Consecutive 80-plus scores for Samson - the joint-highest in T20 World Cups alongside Mahela Jayawardene

18
No. of balls taken by Abhishek Sharma to score his half-century on Sunday - the fastest in T20 World Cup knockouts

98
No. of runs put on by Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma - the highest opening stand in a T20 World Cup final. It is also India's biggest opening stand in this edition of the tournament

One
India became the first team to smash over 100 sixes (106) in a T20 World Cup edition

96
India's victory margin on Sunday - the biggest (by runs) in a T20 World Cup final

92-0
No. of runs scored by India in the first six overs - the joint-highest Powerplay score in T20 World Cups alongside West Indies (92-1 vs Afghanistan
in 2024)

7.2
Overs taken by India to reach 100 - the fastest in T20 World Cup knockouts

127-1
No. of runs scored by India in 10 overs - the second-highest score at the halfway mark in
T20 World Cups

48
No. of runs conceded by NZ's Lockie Ferguson in his first two overs - the most in a T20 World Cup

Four
No. of overs taken by India to score 50 runs - the fastest by any team in T20 World Cup knockouts

One
No. of times top three batters have all scored 50-plus in a T20 World Cup innings

Brief scores
India 255-5 in 20 overs (S Samson 89, I Kishan 54, A Sharma 52; J Neesham 3-46) beat nz 159 all out in 19 overs (T Seifert 52, M Santner 43; J Bumrah 4-15, A Patel 3-27) by 96 runs