T20 World Cup 2026: 2007, 2024, and now... 2026: Three years, three cheers!

India saved their best for last putting in a powerhouse allround display to swat New Zealand aside and extend their lease over the T20 World CupThe ghosts of the final of the 50over World Cup also at the sprawling Narendra Modi Stadium here were emphatically exorcised as Suryakumar Yadavrsquos men rode on a fabulous batting display scoreboard pressure and the versatility and penetration of their bowling group to storm to a commanding 96run triumphInserted by Mitchell Santner India posted 2555 their third score of 250plus in the last four innings on the back of halfcenturies 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 3Sanju Samson during his 46ball 89 against NZ in Ahmedabad on Sunday Indiarsquos Abhishek Sharma celebrates his halfcentury Ishan Kishan in full flow against New Zealand PicsPTI Getty ImagesShivam Dube then helped weather a threewicket 16th over from Jimmy Neesham by clattering the same bowler for 24 in the final over with more than 86000 fans driving their heroes forwardNew 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 longon It was downhill from there on for the Kiwis who didnrsquot string together a meaningful partnership until Daryl Mitchell and Santner put on 52 for the sixth but the ship had sailed long before thatAxar and Jasprit Bumrah were Indiarsquos bowling heroes with three and four wickets respectively while Kishan held a special catch running in from deep midwicket 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 CupAbhishek 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 thereIndia 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 Ahmedabad2555No of runs scored by India on Sunday mdash the highest total in a T20 World Cup finalSevenTotal number of 250plus scores for India mdash the most by any team in T20s18No of sixes smashed by India on Sunday mdash the most by any team in a T20 World Cup final89No of runs scored by Sanju Samson on Sunday mdash the most by any player in a T20 World Cup final24No of sixes smashed by Sanju Samson mdash the most in a T20 World Cup edition surpassing NZrsquos Finn Allen 20ThreeConsecutive 80plus scores for Samson mdash the jointhighest in T20 World Cups alongside Mahela Jayawardene18No of balls taken by Abhishek Sharma to score his halfcentury on Sunday mdash the fastest in T20 World Cup knockouts98No of runs put on by Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma mdash the highest opening stand in a T20 World Cup final It is also Indiarsquos biggest opening stand in this edition of the tournamentOneIndia became the first team to smash over 100 sixes 106 in a T20 World Cup edition96Indiarsquos victory margin on Sunday mdash the biggest by runs in a T20 World Cup final920No of runs scored by India in the first six overs mdash the jointhighest Powerplay score in T20 World Cups alongside West Indies 921 vs Afghanistanin 202472Overs taken by India to reach 100 mdash the fastest in T20 World Cup knockouts1271No of runs scored by India in 10 overs mdash the secondhighest score at the halfway mark inT20 World Cups48No of runs conceded by NZrsquos Lockie Ferguson in his first two overs mdash the most in a T20 World CupFourNo of overs taken by India to score 50 runs mdash the fastest by any team in T20 World Cup knockoutsOneNo of times top three batters have all scored 50plus in a T20 World Cup inningsBrief scoresIndia 2555 in 20 overs S Samson 89 I Kishan 54 A Sharma 52 J Neesham 346 beat nz 159 all out in 19 overs T Seifert 52 M Santner 43 J Bumrah 415 A Patel 327 by 96 runs