India were crowned T20 World Cup champions for a second successive time after a crushing 96-run victory over New Zealand in the final in Ahmedabad. In front of a capacity crowd of 100,000 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, they became the first men's team to defend the title and the first to win it on home soil.
Batting first, India posted a formidable 255, with Sanju Samson playing a key role, before dismissing New Zealand for 159. Jasprit Bumrah was named player of the match after taking 4-15 from his four overs, using a series of slower balls and yorkers to dismantle the chase. Axar Patel also impressed with the ball.
Samson, who had struggled in the preceding series against New Zealand, spoke of his emotional turnaround. "It feels like a dream! I'm out of words, out of emotions," he said. He credited guidance from Sachin Tendulkar for helping him refocus after a period of self-doubt.
Bumrah, who also finished as the joint leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 14, said he had prepared meticulously for the conditions. "Today was a wonderful day when all the execution went as planned," he remarked. His figures in the final took his tournament economy rate to 6.21 runs per over.
New Zealand have now lost four World Cup finals across formats since 2015, as well as the Champions Trophy last year. India, meanwhile, scored more than 250 in both the semi-final and final, underlining their dominance across the tournament.
