India beat New Zealand by 96 runs to win record third T20 World Cup title

India delivered a commanding performance to defeat New Zealand by 96 runs in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, securing a record third title and successfully defending their crown.

Batting first in the summit clash, India produced an explosive display to post 255 for five in 20 overs, the highest total ever recorded in a T20 World Cup final. The innings was built around a superb knock from Sanju Samson, who scored 89 off 46 balls with a series of powerful strokes.

Samson received strong support from Abhishek Sharma, who struck a rapid 52 off just 21 deliveries, and Ishan Kishan, who added 54 from 25 balls. The aggressive trio dominated the powerplay as Samson and Abhishek stitched together a 98-run opening stand in only 7.1 overs.

India continued to maintain the momentum through the middle overs, crossing the 200-run mark by the 15th over. New Zealand briefly pulled things back when James Neesham claimed three wickets in a single over, dismissing Samson, Kishan and captain Suryakumar Yadav in quick succession. However, Shivam Dube’s unbeaten 26 helped India finish strongly with 52 runs in the last five overs.

Bumrah and Axar dismantle New Zealand Chase

Chasing a daunting target of 256, New Zealand struggled under the scoreboard pressure and lost key wickets early. Jasprit Bumrah provided the early breakthrough and went on to produce a match-winning spell, finishing with impressive figures of 4 for 15.

Axar Patel supported him effectively in the middle overs, picking up three wickets to further dent the chase. New Zealand’s hopes of mounting a comeback were briefly kept alive by Tim Seifert, who scored a quick 52 off 26 balls, but wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.

The Black Caps were eventually bowled out for 159 in 19 overs, handing India a comprehensive victory in the final.

With the triumph, India became the first team to win three T20 World Cup titles and also successfully defended their championship, reinforcing their dominance in the shortest format of international cricket.