The India national cricket team scripted history on Sunday, lifting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, with a thumping 96-run win over the New Zealand national cricket team.
India became the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cup titles, while also becoming the first side to lift the trophy three times. The night was also historic for the hosts, as India became the first country to win a T20 World Cup in its own country.
As the last wicket fell, players rushed toward the boundary ropes where already bunched substitutions and support staff stood waiting. As the dust settled, more than 86 thousand fans in attendance erupted into cries of jubilation as they waved India flags and shouted national slogans to create memories that erased painful flaws from memory — remembering India’s defeat in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Final at the same venue against Australia.
It was first the tone set by India’s batting dominance
India’s victory was built on a dazzling batting display earlier in the evening. The title holders scored 255/5 — the highest total in a T20 World Cup final — setting New Zealand a monumental chase of 256.
Player of the Tournament Sanju Samson was once more at his brutal best, charging to 89 off 46 balls for an innings that put Delhi firmly on the back foot as he extended his brilliant form through the tournament. Batting alongside Samson at the top of the order, Abhishek Sharma got them off to a flier with a brisk half-century while Ishan Kishan was also in the mood for attack as he scored 50 as well.
The trio’s collective assault highlighted India’s evolution into one of the most-feared batting lineups in T20 cricket.
Bowlers seal emphatic win
India’s bowlers put in a disciplined performance to defend the big total and seal the title. Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel led the attack, as New Zealand were dismissed for 159 with one over to spare.
Tim Seifert fought through a half-century, but New Zealand’s chase never really got on track. Their bowlers had also struggled to contain India’s explosive batting lineup, and the batting unit failed to put up a serious challenge in reply.
The loss is another crushing defeat for New Zealand at major tournaments. It was their fifth white-ball final in 11 years but, once again, it ended without the trophy.
For India, though, the night belonged to a team that over the past two years has ruled the T20 format.