Ahmedabad (AFP) - India won the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday by defeating New Zealand by 96 runs. Chasing a target of 256, New Zealand were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs. 

India's victory delighted the 86,000 fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad after off-spinner Abhishek Sharma dismissed New Zealand's last batsman Jacob Duffy. Most of the fans were from India. India lost to Australia in the 2023 World Cup final at the same ground. New Zealand also missed out on the final this time. 

New Zealand has yet to win the World Cup with the white ball. The team lost to Australia in the 2021 final. Similarly, New Zealand lost to Australia and England in the 2015 and 2019 ODI finals respectively.

Opener Tim Seifert from New Zealand scored 52 runs off 26 balls with 2 fours and 5 sixes, while captain Mitchell Santner scored 43 runs off 35 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes.

Player of the Final India's Jasprit Bumrah took 4 wickets for just 15 runs in 4 overs. Axar Patel took 3 wickets for 27 runs in 3 overs.

India became the first team to defend the title. India defeated South Africa in the final held in the West Indies two years ago. India also became the first country to win the Twenty20 World Cup three times.

West Indies and England have won 2-2. This is the first time in 10 editions of the Twenty20 World Cup that the home team has won.

Earlier, after Sanju Samson scored 89 runs off 46 balls, India, who had opted to bat after losing the toss, scored 255 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Samson, who scored an unbeaten 97 and 89 runs in the last two innings, hit 5 fours and 8 sixes. 

Samson was adjudged the Player of the Series. He scored 321 runs in the tournament. “It’s like a dream, I am very happy and grateful. I have no words, no emotions,” he said after receiving the award.

He was not played in the initial matches. But later, Rinku Singh was removed from the middle order and Samson was played as an opener, while Ishan Kishan was sent to the number three position from the opener. 

India put on 92 runs without loss in the first power play of 6 overs to tilt the game in their favor. After Samson and Abhishek Sharma shared a 98-run partnership for the first wicket, India made their second highest score in this World Cup. The team also scored 258 runs in the ‘Super Eight’ match against Zimbabwe. 

Abhishek scored 52 runs in 21 balls. Left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra hit 6 fours and 3 sixes before being dismissed on a ball that went outside the off-stump. This was his second half-century in the tournament.

Samson and Ishan Kishan combined  again unleashed a brutal attack on the New Zealand bowlers. Samson hit 3 consecutive sixes off Ravindra to complete his third half-century in the tournament. 

Kishan scored 54 runs. He hit 4 fours and a six in 25 balls. Jimmy Neesham took 3 wickets in a single over. He dismissed Samson, Kishan and captain Suryakumar Yadav for naught. But even before that, India had already surpassed the 200-run mark. 

India surpassed the 250-run mark after Shivam Dubey hit 3 fours and 2 sixes off Neesham in the last over. Dubey remained unbeaten on 26 runs off 8 balls. India's 96-run victory is also the largest margin of victory in the T20 World Cup. In the same World Cup, India defeated Namibia by 93 runs. 

T20 World Cup

When and where were the winners and runners-up? 

2007 South Africa India Pakistan

2009 England  Pakistan Sri Lanka