India Clinches T20 World Cup 2026 Title, Defeating New Zealand by 96 Runs in Record-Breaking Final

Ahmedabad. India has won the T20 World Cup 2026 title. The team defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final match.

Having lost the toss and batting first on Sunday in Ahmedabad, India posted a score of 255 for the loss of 5 wickets. In reply, the New Zealand team was all out for 159 runs.

With India's victory, major records were set. This is the first time the host nation has won the T20 World Cup. The team set a record for the highest score in a World Cup final against New Zealand. Additionally, it registered the largest victory margin in a T20 World Cup final.

Records set by India in the process of winning the title:

• 3: The number of men's T20 World Cup titles won by India. India previously won this tournament in 2007 and 2024. India becomes the first team to win this title three times. West Indies (2012 and 2016) and England (2010 and 2022) have won twice each.
• Furthermore, India is the first team to win two consecutive men's T20 World Cups. Previously, no defending champion had reached the final. India is also the first team to win the tournament on home soil.
• 1-3: India's win-loss record against New Zealand in the men's T20 World Cup. India had been defeated by New Zealand in all three previous matches. The only team India has not yet defeated in this tournament is Sri Lanka.
• 255/5: India's total against New Zealand in the Ahmedabad final is the highest score posted by any team in a T20 International knockout (or playoff) match. The previous high was 253/7 against England in the semi-final. This is also the third-highest score posted by any team in a men's T20 World Cup.
• Previously, the highest total in a T20 International final was 244/4 by Italy against Romania in 2024 (in the Sub-Regional Europe Qualifier Group 'A' final). Previously, no team had crossed the 200-run mark in a T20 World Cup final.
• 96: The largest margin of victory for India against New Zealand by runs in the men's T20 World Cup. The previous largest victory in this World Cup was by 93 runs against Namibia.
• This 96-run defeat is New Zealand's largest margin of defeat in this tournament. Two of the three largest defeats suffered by New Zealand in men's T20 Internationals have occurred against India in Ahmedabad.
• 4/15: Jasprit Bumrah's bowling figures against New Zealand, which is also his first four-wicket haul in T20 Internationals. He is only the second bowler to take 4 wickets in a men's T20 World Cup final. Previously, Ajantha Mendis took 4 wickets for 12 runs against West Indies in 2012.
• India became the first team to score over 250 runs in two consecutive men's T20 International matches. After scoring 253/7 against England in the semi-final, India surpassed this mark in the final as well. Before India, only Sunrisers Hyderabad (in IPL 2024) had scored consecutive 250+ totals.
• India surpassed the 250-run mark for the third time in this World Cup on Sunday. The only other team to score 250+ three times in a single T20 series (or tournament) is Sunrisers Hyderabad from IPL 2024. Overall, this is the fourth instance of India scoring 250+ runs in T20 Internationals in 2026, which is the most by any team in a single year.
• 18: The number of balls faced by Abhishek Sharma to complete his half-century against New Zealand. This is the fastest half-century struck by any batter in the T20 World Cup knockout stage. Previously, Finn Allen against South Africa in the semi-final in the same week and Jacob Bethal against India had scored fifties in 19 balls.
• 89: Sanju Samson's score against New Zealand is the highest individual score by any batter in a T20 World Cup final. Previously, Marlon Samuels scored an unbeaten 85 against England in 2016 and Kane Williamson scored 85 against Australia in 2021.
• Samson is only the third batter to score a half-century in both the semi-final and final of a men's T20 World Cup. Previously, Shahid Afridi in 2009 and Virat Kohli in 2014 achieved this. Tim Seifert became the fourth batter to score a half-century while chasing a target.
• 98: The partnership between Abhishek and Samson is the largest opening partnership in a men's T20 World Cup final. It surpassed the record of 48 runs by Kamran Akmal and Shahzaib Hasan against Sri Lanka in 2009 by 50 runs.
• This 98-run partnership between Abhishek and Samson is also their highest partnership in T20 Internationals. Furthermore, this was the first occasion they batted without losing a wicket during the powerplay in a T20 International.
• 92/0: India's score in the powerplay is the joint-highest score by any team in a men's T20 World Cup, equaling the 92/1 scored by West Indies against Afghanistan in 2024.
• 4: This is the fourth time Abhishek has completed a half-century within the powerplay in T20 Internationals, which is the most by any batter. Adil Butt of Eswatini and Faisal Khan of Saudi Arabia hold the record for three such fifties each. Abhishek is only the seventh batter to score a half-century in the powerplay of a men's T20 World Cup.
• 3: Samson's third consecutive 80+ score. In the previous two matches, he scored 97* against West Indies and 89 against England. The only other player to score three consecutive 80+ scores in a T20 World Cup is Mahela Jayawardene (in 2010). This is also the first time Samson has scored three consecutive fifties in his 330 T20 match career.
• 321: The total runs scored by Samson in this tournament - the most by any Indian batter in a men's T20 World Cup. He surpassed Virat Kohli's 319 runs from 2014. Samson's score is the third highest in a single edition after Sahibzada Farhan (383) and Tim Seifert (326).
• Samson scored 178 of his 321 runs in the semi-final and final alone, which is the most by any batter in any edition (surpassing Kohli's 149 runs in 2014).
• 24: The number of sixes hit by Samson in this World Cup is the most sixes hit by any batter in a single T20 World Cup edition. Finn Allen's 20 sixes in this tournament are the second most.