Published: Mar 09, 2026, 12:51 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 09, 2026, 12:51 PM (IST)
The defending champions India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in Sunday’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India posted 255 for 5 after being asked to bat first and then bowled New Zealand out for 159 in reply to win the T20 World Cup for the second successive time.
Here are India’s top five match-winning heroes from the final
The brilliant form of Sanju Samson continued into the knockout stages as he played an outstanding innings in the final. He scored 89 runs off 42 balls, smashing five fours and eight sixes. Samson and Abhishek Sharma shared a 98-run opening partnership to give India a flying start. With their aggressive batting, India crossed the 100 run mark in just 7.2 overs and put New Zealand under early pressure.
Abhishek Sharma had a difficult tournament before the final. After a quiet semi-final, questions were even raised abouth his place in the team following a few low scores. However, he repaid the team’s faith on the biggest stage. Abhishek smashed a half-century in just 18 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes. His fearless start set the tone for India’s massive total.
Ishan Kishan once again demonstrated his value with a quick and important knock. After Abhishek was dismissed, Kishan stepped in and kept the scoring rate high. He added 105 runs with Samson and scored 54 off just 25 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes. Kishan also impressed in the field, taking three key catches to dismiss Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, and Daryl Mitchell.
Jasprit Bumrah once again proved why he is India’s most valuable weapon with the ball. The pacer delivered a superb spell, finishing with outstanding figures of 4 for 15 runs in four overs. His brilliant bowling dismantled New Zealand’s batting lineup and played a key role in India’s victory.
India star all rounder Axar Patel also played an important role with the ball. The left-arm spinner dismissed dangerous batters like Finn Allen, Glenn Phillips, and Daryl Mitchell at crucial stages of the chase. His tight bowling kept New Zealand under pressure and prevented them from building any momentum.
India’s all-round performance with bat and ball made them worthy champions. They have now won back-to-back T20 World Cups and created history as the first team to defend the title successfully.
