There was never much doubt that India were the team of this T20 World Cup tournament. Three scores above 250, a record-equalling powerplay in the final, three wickets for Bumrah in the decider — these are the statistics of a team playing at its absolute peak. The 96-run victory over New Zealand confirmed what everyone who had watched the tournament already knew: India are world champions, and they are the best team on the planet.
Abhishek Sharma’s 18-ball fifty was one of the great World Cup final innings, and the powerplay it illuminated — 92 for no loss — gave India an immediate and decisive advantage. Sanju Samson extended the lead with 89 off 46, one of the most important innings of the entire tournament, and Ishan Kishan’s 54 off 25 ensured the total kept climbing. India reached 191 for one at the drinks break, and the total of 255 always seemed forthcoming.
New Zealand’s bowling was overwhelmed. Lockie Ferguson (24 runs in his first over), Matt Henry (21 in his), and Jacob Duffy (15 in his) were all made to look ordinary by an India batting unit executing their plans to near-perfection. Jimmy Neesham’s bizarre over of one run and three wickets was the statistical outlier of the match, while Suryakumar Yadav’s golden duck was the individual moment that generated most surprise.
Bumrah’s three-wicket haul with slow yorkers brought the match to a fitting conclusion. New Zealand ended on 159, their fourth World Cup final loss since 2015. The margin of 96 runs confirmed how far ahead India were on the day.
India are champions. Deservedly, emphatically, historically. Their fans deserve to celebrate this for a very long time.
