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On the roadworthy to the Narendra Modi Stadium, a banner proclaimed: ‘Some days are green, immoderate days are red, contiguous is each astir blue’. The Men successful Blue lived up to that billing during a rousing Sunday night.
IND vs NZ ICC T20 World Cup Final: Follow highlights, updates connected February 8, 2026
Among the database of milestone dates successful India’s limited-overs cricketing past — June 25, 1983; September 24, 2007; April 2, 2011; and June 29, 2024 — adhd March 8, 2026. At a packed venue, the defending champion dished retired a commanding show to assertion the ICC T20 World Cup aft defeating New Zealand by 96 runs.
This was India’s 5th World Cup triumph, including 2 successful ODIs and 3 successful T20Is.
Early wickets
Pursuing India’s 255 for five, New Zealand was bowled retired for 159 successful 19 overs. Suryakumar Yadav’s men buzzed around, and the pursuit was a non-starter arsenic Finn Allen failed to capitalise connected a dropped drawback by Shivam Dube, and succumbed to Axar Patel.
It got worse erstwhile Rachin Ravindra tried to flick Jasprit Bumrah implicit backward square-leg. A sprinting Ishan Kishan dived afloat magnitude and plucked a stunner. And erstwhile Axar pegged backmost the stumps of Glenn Phillips, the Black Caps were wobbling astatine 47 for three.
Opener Tim Seifert who thumped 20 from a Hardik Pandya over, tried to support the fires burning. But erstwhile Hardik dismissed Mark Chapman and Seifert (52) perished to Varun Chakaravarthy, the rivals were down for the count. Skipper Mitchell Santner tried to hold the inevitable, landing immoderate blows, earlier Bumrah ensured that India won with ease.
Samson ensured India seized the inaugural with different sparkling sound earlier Bumrah took the upwind retired of New Zealand’s sails. | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini
Earlier, Santner won the toss, elected to field, and watched Indian openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma flourish successful the PowerPlay. The 2 amassed 92 runs successful the archetypal six overs adjacent arsenic Santner switched his bowlers around. Initially, Matt Henry kept it choky and Samson remained watchful arsenic 4 dot balls ensued.
However, a six implicit long-on successful the archetypal over, opened the floodgates. Seeing his spouse power gears, Abhishek warmed up with fours disconnected Jacob Duffy connected either broadside portion the New Zealand seamers struggled with a bout of wides.
Abhishek raced to his fifty, dismantling Henry with 2 sixes, and wading into Duffy. The southpaw fell to Rachin but the openers had stitched 98 runs unneurotic successful 7.1 overs.
Soon Kishan warmed up with a 4 disconnected James Neesham, and hoisted Santner into the stands. Meanwhile, Samson etched his 50, and with celebratory gusto pummelled Lockie Ferguson doubly into the skies. Kishan excessively got into the gravity defying enactment arsenic the shot sailed high. Rachin was clattered astir and aft Kishan got to his fifty, against the tally of play, New Zealand inflicted 3 wounds.
Neesham scalped Samson (89), Kishan (54) and Suryakumar (nought) successful the aforesaid over, arsenic the batters recovered alert fielders. India 204 for 4 successful 16 overs, and connected the hunt for speedy runs. A quest Hardik tried to fulfil, earlier Dube hammered Neesham for 24 successful the past over.
And astatine the break, India nursed its dreams astir retaining the championship, which it did successful style.
