Having put to bat first, Team India`s swashbuckling opening batsman Abhishek Sharma scored 52 runs off 21 balls, including six boundaries and three maximums (Pic: X/@BCCI)

Wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson yet again delivered a big knock. Facing 46 deliveries, the right-handed batsman garnered 89 runs, laced with five boundaries and eight maximums (Pic: X/@BCCI)

Later, Ishan Kishan also returned to the pavilion after scoring a half-century. The left-handed batsman`s knock ended with a score of 54 runs in 25 balls, including four boundaries and four maximums. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed on a one-ball duck. Hardik Pandya managed to score 18 runs in 13 balls, including a boundary and a maximum. Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube stayed unbeaten. Facing six balls, Varma scored eight runs, whereas Dube smashed 26 runs in just eight balls, including three boundaries and two maximums. With this, the "Men in Blue" posted a total of 255 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs (Pic: X/@BCCI)

New Zealand`s James Neesham returned with the figures of three wickets for 46 runs in four overs. Rachin Ravindra and Matt Henry bagged one wicket each. Glenn Phillips, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, and skipper Mitchell Santner went wicketless in the T20 World Cup 2026 final against the "Men in Blue" (Pic: X/@ICC)

As the game proceeds in the second essay, the "Men in Blue" will heavily rely on their lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Shouldering him will be Arshdeep Singh. It will be interesting to see if Team India manage to defend their T20 World Cup title (Pic: File Pic)