Red-hot Samson powers India to 255-5 against NZ in T20 World Cup final

  • Last updated: March 8, 2026 | 20:40
Red-hot Samson powers India to 255-5 against NZ in T20 World Cup final
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Sanju Samson plays a shot during the T20 World Cup cricket final match in Ahmedabad, India, on Sunday. AP
Sanju Samson plays a shot during the T20 World Cup cricket final match in Ahmedabad, India, on Sunday. AP
Red-hot Samson powers India to 255-5 against NZ in T20 World Cup final
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Mitchel Santner and Suryakumar Yadav shake hands after the coin toss of the T20 World Cup final match in Ahmedabad, India, on Sunday. AP
Mitchel Santner and Suryakumar Yadav shake hands after the coin toss of the T20 World Cup final match in Ahmedabad, India, on Sunday. AP
Red-hot Samson powers India to 255-5 against NZ in T20 World Cup final
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Mitchel Santner and Suryakumar Yadav wait for the coin toss of the T20 World Cup final match in Ahmedabad. AP
Mitchel Santner and Suryakumar Yadav wait for the coin toss of the T20 World Cup final match in Ahmedabad. AP
Red-hot Samson powers India to 255-5 against NZ in T20 World Cup final
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Dancers perform during the closing ceremony of the T20 World Cup cricket final match between India and New Zealand in Ahmedabad, India, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Dancers perform during the closing ceremony of the T20 World Cup cricket final match between India and New Zealand in Ahmedabad, India, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

New Zealand ‌will need to score 256 ​in ⁠the final to ‌beat defending ‌champions India and win their maiden Twenty20 ‌World Cup at the Narendra ⁠Modi Stadium on Sunday. Put in to bat, India capitalised on a 98-run opening stand between Sanju ​Samson (89) and Abhishek Sharma (52) ‌to rack up 255-5. Samson hit eight sixes and ⁠five fours in his 46-ball blitz, maintaining his red-hot ​form ‌in the business ‌end of the tournament. Number three Ishan Kishan smashed 54 ‌but James ‌Neesham bowled ⁠a three-wicket over ‌to apply the brakes on India's scoring ⁠rate towards ​the end. (

New Zealand is aiming for its first T20 World Cup triumph. It finished as runner-up in the 2021 final, losing to Australia in Dubai.

India topped Group A in the first round and then finished second in Group 1 in the Super 8s. Its only loss came against South Africa in the Super 8s at the same venue. The co-hosts beat England in the second semifinal in Mumbai.

New Zealand finished second in Group D in the first round and finished second in Group 2 in the Super 8s. It beat South Africa in the first semifinal at Kolkata.

Red-hot Samson powers India to 255-5 against NZ in T20 World Cup final
Dancers perform during the closing ceremony of the T20 World Cup final match between India and New Zealand in Ahmedabad. AP

The Black Caps have made one change with medium pacer Jacob Duffy coming in for Cole McConchie.
India is unchanged from the Mumbai semifinal.

The Narendra Modi Stadium is the largest cricket ground in the world, with a crowd in excess of 100,000 expected at today’s final. The pitch should aid batters through both innings, with evening dew possibly aiding the chasing side.


Line-ups:

India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (captain), Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy

Associated Press

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