Invincible India dismantle New Zealand, retain T20 World Cup crown with an era-defining performance

AHMEDABAD: Finals are meant to be tense, gripping affairs. This one turned into a procession. Riding on Sanju Samson’s blazing knock and the Jasprit Bumrah’s four-wicket haul, India shoved New Zealand aside to clinch their third T20 World Cup title — and second in a row — in a one-sided final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday night.The defining win cemented India’s position as the numero uno T20 team of our age. Some would say New Zealand never really turned up for the final, such was India’s dominance! Continuing his fairytale comeback, Samson smashed a dazzling 89 off 46 balls (8x4, 5x6) as India piled up a mammoth 255/5, the highest total ever in a T20 World Cup final, after New Zealand — in just one of many bizarre tactical decisions on the day — opted to field first.

In reply, the Black Caps barely mounted a fight as they folded tamely, getting bowled out for 159, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the charge with four wickets and Axar Patel (3/27) providing able support. The 96-run victory margin told the story of the final. The only resistance came from opener Tim Seifert, who hammered a quickfire 52 off 26 balls (2x5, 5x6), while the rest of the Kiwi batting looked overawed by the occasion and the mammoth crowd.

For India, the tone was set by the one batsman who has struggled all through the tournament. Shrugging off his horror run, Abhishek Sharma rediscovered his destructive touch just when India needed it most.The left-hander hammered the fastest fifty of the tournament, reaching the milestone in just 18 balls before finishing with a blistering 52 off 21 balls (6x4, 3x6).India’s most explosive opening pair went hammer and tongs at the Kiwi attack, racing to 92 without loss in the Powerplay, a start rarely seen in a T20 World Cup final.

The duo added 98 in just 43 balls, dismantling some ordinary New Zealand pace bowling.It was another night of fearless batting from India, a template they have followed since the Super-8 clash against Zimbabwe. After smashing 19 sixes in the semifinal against England, they cleared the ropes 18 times in the final, much to the delight of the 86,824-strong crowd.New Zealand’s tactics backfired badly. The decision to drop off-spinner Cole McConchie, who had struck in the semifinal, allowed Abhishek to flourish against the quicks.

His replacement Jacob Duffy proved expensive, conceding 42 runs in three overs. The Kiwis’ over-reliance on slower balls also proved costly, with spearhead Matt Henry leaking 49 runs in four overs. Surprisingly, off-spinner Glenn Phillips was given just a single over.After Abhishek’s dismissal, Ishan Kishan kept the momentum going with a brisk 54 off 25 balls (4x4, 4x6). His 105-run stand with Samson off just 48 balls for the second wicket pushed India to 203 in 15 overs, setting up a final onslaught. After them, Shivam Dube ensured the momentum never dipped with an eight-ball 26.