India routs New Zealand

India beat New Zealand by 96 runs on March 8 to win the 2026 International Cricket Council Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in Ahmedabad. (cricbuzz.com) India piled up 255 for 5 in 20 overs, then bowled New Zealand out for 159 in 19 overs at Narendra Modi Stadium. Sanju Samson made 89 off 46 balls, Abhishek Sharma hit 52 off 21, and Ishan Kishan added 54 off 25. (cricbuzz.com) New Zealand were 72 for 5 in the ninth over after Tim Seifert’s 52 off 26, and never recovered in a chase of 256. Jasprit Bumrah took 4 wickets for 15 runs, Axar Patel took 3 for 27, and Mitchell Santner’s 43 delayed the finish without changing the result. (cricbuzz.com) The win gave India a third Men’s Twenty20 World Cup title, moving them past England and West Indies, who have two each. India had previously won the tournament in 2007 and 2024. (business-standard.com) It also completed a title defense. ESPNcricinfo reported that India had now retained the Men’s Twenty20 World Cup after winning the 2024 edition, while also holding the Asia Cup and Champions Trophy. (espncricinfo.com) For New Zealand, the loss extended a run of near-misses in global white-ball finals. Cricbuzz’s match notes said New Zealand had now lost multiple Men’s Twenty20 World Cup finals, including 2021 and 2026. (cricbuzz.com) The venue added another layer for India. The International Cricket Council said the team “exorcised the demons” of 2023 at the same Ahmedabad ground, where India lost the One Day International World Cup final to Australia. (icc-cricket.com) Suryakumar Yadav, India’s captain, said the title capped a project that began after the 2024 World Cup, when he was backed to lead the side. The Board of Control for Cricket in India match center quoted him saying the journey started after that tournament and was built on “strong cricketing habits.” (bcci.tv) The final turned into a sprint from India’s first six overs, when they scored 92 runs in the powerplay and never let New Zealand slow the scoring enough to reopen the game. By the time Bumrah and Axar worked through the middle order, the chase had become damage control. (cricbuzz.com) India left Ahmedabad with the trophy and a 96-run margin in a world final. New Zealand left with another runners-up finish against a side that was out of reach by the halfway mark. (cricbuzz.com)