Player of the Tournament Sanju Samson hit 89 off 46 balls as India cruised past New Zealand by 96 runs in Ahmedabad to win the T20 World Cup 2026.
On the same pitch where India were beaten by Australia in the 2023 final, Abhishek Sharma contributed 52 off 21 deliveries and Ishan Kishan posted 54 from 25 as India set their opponents 255.
Entering as considerable underdogs, New Zealand enjoyed a promising first two overs but rarely resembled realistic winners from there.
Tim Seifert smashed 52 from 26 balls but with Jasprit Bumrah taking 4-15, India had little trouble coasting to victory.
| India 255-5 (20 overs), won by 96 runs | New Zealand 159 (19 overs) |
|---|---|
| Samson 89 (46), Kishan 54 (25), Abhishek 52 (21) | Seifert 52 (26); Bumrah 4-15 |
T20 World Cup final : How Tendulkar inspired Samson
Having made his T20 World Cup debut at this edition, Samson was entitled to declare himself “out of words, out of emotions” at a “surreal” campaign.
The wicket-keeper-batter hit an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in India’s final Super Eight game and 89 against England in the semi-finals.
Let the celebrations begin 🤩
India are #T20WorldCup 2026 champions 🏆 pic.twitter.com/zGgQtwODwH
— ICC (@ICC) March 8, 2026
“It feels like a dream,” said Samson, via BBC Sport. “Very happy, very grateful. In 2024, I couldn’t get a game.
“I started working; this is exactly what I wanted to achieve. The last couple of months, I have been in constant touch with [India icon] Sachin Tendulkar.
“When I was outside the team… I reached out to him. Yesterday he called me up. Getting guidance from him – what more can I ask for?”
T20 World Cup final: Bumrah explains tactics
Bumrah claimed New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, James Neesham and Matt Henry’s wickets late on and praised the “really brilliant” crowd of more than 100,000.
“It feels really special,” said Bumrah. “Before this tournament, I was trying too hard. In this format, I let the game come to me.
“I am clear, I prepare really well and then I react to what happens. It is my experience that if you bowl too fast here, shot-making gets easier. The slower balls helped.
“It was really wonderful with the rest of the group. Everyone had their plans. Everyone was clear. We never panic.”
India vs New Zealand teams
India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy
India ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh
New Zealand ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad
Mitchell Santner (c), Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears (reserve)
