Ahmedabad, Mar 8 (NVI): India successfully retained the ICC T20 World Cup title after registering a commanding 96-run victory over New Zealand in the final played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Opting to bat first, India produced a dominant batting display and posted a massive total of 255/5 in the allotted 20 overs.
Sanju Samson starred with the bat, smashing a brilliant 89 off 46 balls, which included five fours and eight sixes. Abhishek Sharma provided strong support with a quickfire 52 off just 21 deliveries, while Ishan Kishan added 54 off 25 balls to maintain India’s aggressive scoring rate.
In the final overs, Shivam Dube played a crucial cameo, scoring an unbeaten 26 off eight balls, while Tilak Varma remained not out on 8 to help India register one of the highest totals in a T20 World Cup final.
Chasing a daunting target of 256, New Zealand struggled to keep up with the required run rate as Indian bowlers struck at regular intervals.
Jasprit Bumrah led the bowling attack with an impressive spell of 4/15 in four overs, putting New Zealand under immense pressure. Axar Patel picked up three wickets, while Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakravarthy and Abhishek Sharma claimed one wicket each.
New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 159 in 19 overs, handing India a comprehensive victory and helping them retain the ICC T20 World Cup title.
The emphatic win triggered celebrations among players and fans as India reaffirmed their dominance in T20 cricket on the global stage.(NVI)
