Ahmedabad, March 8 (NationPress) Fast bowling leader Jasprit Bumrah achieved remarkable figures of 4-15 as India made history by retaining the Men’s T20 World Cup title, securing their third championship by defeating New Zealand by 96 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, in front of 86,824 enthusiastic fans on Sunday.

Sanju Samson showcased an explosive innings, scoring 89 runs off just 46 balls, with five fours and eight sixes, propelling India to a stunning total of 255/5—the highest score ever recorded in a T20 World Cup final. Following this, Bumrah and Axar Patel (3-27) dismantled New Zealand’s batting lineup, leading to their collapse at 159 runs in just 19 overs, with Tim Seifert being the sole player to put up a fight, scoring 52 runs.

Samson continued his impressive form with previous scores of 97 not out and 89, forming a strong opening partnership of 98 runs with Abhishek Sharma (52 off 21 balls). Ishan Kishan contributed with 54 runs off 25 balls. Although James Neesham briefly halted India's momentum by taking three wickets in one over, Shivam Dube finished strong with an unbeaten 26 runs off just eight balls, pushing India past the 250 mark.

India's bowlers effectively eliminated any chance of a repeat of the semi-final scare against England, quickly reducing New Zealand to 52/3 during the powerplay. This victory marked significant milestones: India's first win over New Zealand in a T20 World Cup and their first ICC white-ball triumph in Ahmedabad, following past defeats in the 2023 ODI final and earlier in this tournament.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav becomes the fourth Indian captain to guide the team to a men's cricket World Cup title, maintaining an impressive record of not losing a single series since taking over in July 2024. Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, also celebrates his second ICC title as India successfully completed a back-to-back victory in the Men’s T20 World Cup.

In defending the score of 256, Arshdeep Singh utilized his swing bowling to restrict Seifert and Finn Allen. After Allen was dropped on two runs by Dube, Seifert hit Hardik Pandya for two sixes and two fours in a single over, accumulating 21 runs.

India's response was swift and unforgiving. Axar, who was brought in during the third over, dismissed the dangerous Allen, while Bumrah made an immediate impact in the fourth over, claiming Rachin Ravindra with his first ball, which was caught brilliantly by Ishan Kishan.

Axar's well-disguised arm ball took down Glenn Phillips in the fifth over, leaving New Zealand at 52/3 by the end of the power-play. Seifert reached a half-century off just 23 balls, hitting two sixes against Varun Chakaravarthy.

Despite India’s efforts, the crowd was briefly stunned when Daryl Mitchell hit consecutive sixes off Arshdeep. However, the situation was defused when the umpire intervened, and Suryakumar Yadav offered an apology followed by a handshake from Arshdeep.

Even with a demanding asking rate, Mitchell and skipper Mitchell Santner (who was dropped on 26 by Pandya) continued to score runs. Yet, Axar returned to have Mitchell caught in the deep, while Bumrah dismissed Neesham, Matt Henry, and Neesham again with well-executed slower balls. Ultimately, Tilak Varma completed a relay catch of Jacob Duffy, ensuring India made their mark in this historic victory.

Brief Scores:

India 255/5 in 20 overs (Samson 89, Kishan 54, Sharma 52; Neesham 3-46, Ravindra 1-32) defeated New Zealand 159 in 19 overs (Seifert 52, Santner 43; Bumrah 4-15, Patel 3-27) by 96 runs.