For the second game in a row, India were put into bat in a knockout game and yet again, the defending champions came out all guns blazing to smash a 250-plus score on the board. Led by fifties from Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, India powered their way to a strong total of 255-5 against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Sunday (March 8).
On a mixed soil pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the grass covering meant that it was always going to be a good batting surface. Perhaps not as easy as the one in Mumbai but a great batting deck nevertheless. New Zealand's tactical mistakes and nerves under pressure allowed an aggressive Indian top-three to wade into the bowlers from the get-go.
It was an absolute smash-fest by Samson, Abhishek and Kishan with the Kerala batter being the most subdued of the trio but yet, he was striking at 194! Tells you the dominance of India's batters. Also, there was a phase of three to four overs where New Zealand got some kind of control and yet, India got past 250-plus thanks to a 24-run final over.
List of all records in India's batting performance.
- India's 255-5 is the highest-ever total in a T20 World Cup final
- India's total of 255-5 is the third-highest score in T20 World Cup 2026
- India have seven totals of 250 or above in this format - no international side has even five and SRH (5) are second in the list
- Sanju Samson (89) has the highest-ever individual score in a T20 World Cup final
- Sanju Samson (24) has the second-most sixes in a T20I series/tournament, despite playing just four games
- Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan all got fifties - the first instance of any team's top three getting to this milestone in a T20 World Cup game
- India's total of 127-1 is the highest total by a full-member side in T20 World Cups
- India's total of 92-0 is the highest-ever PowerPlay score in a T20 World Cup final
- India registered the fastest team 100 in a T20 World Cup knockout game
- India hit 18 sixes, second highest in a T20 World Cup game ever and highest in a final
- India hit 37 boundaries (sixes plus fours), joint-second tally in a T20 World Cup innings, same as their semifinal effort against England
