Sanju Samson's redemption story continues: India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs to win their third T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. It was a one-sided affair in the final, with the Kiwis never in the game since the start of the game.
They created history after winning the T20 World Cup 2026, to become the first team to win three T20 World Cups, and also the team to defend the World Cup at home. Sanju Samson yet again played a big knock, scoring 89 off 46 deliveries. He was amazing since his arrival on the team.
Sanju Samson earns the POTT
Sanju Samson won the Player of the Tournament award for his amazing T20 World Cup campaign. The wicket-keeper batter scored 321 runs in five matches, with an average of 80.25. He changed the dynamics of the team since he was included in the team. A turnaround for Sanju Samson, as he did not start the tournament.
Since the Zimbabwe match, Sanju Samson looked in good form, and from the West Indies game, he never turned back, scoring three back-to-back fifties (West Indies, England and New Zealand), and also his individual score of 89 was the highest ever in a T20 World Cup final.
Feels like a dream- Sanju Samson
After winning the Player of the Tournament, Sanju said, "Feels like a dream. Very happy and grateful. Out of words, out of emotions. [On his three fifties, thought process] To be honest, it started one-two years before. When I was in the 2024 World Cup team where I didn't play, I kept visualising, kept on working and this was exactly what I wanted to do."
"After the NZ series I was broken, my dreams were completely shattered. And I was thinking what can I do. But God had different plans. And I was rewarded for being brave enough to dream. A lot of former players have reached out to me and tried to help me out. For the last couple of months, I have been in constant contact with Sachin sir."
"I reached out to him and had big big conversations with him. Getting a guidance from someone like him, what more can you ask for? I am very grateful for everyone who supported me. [What more does he want to achieve?] This itself is very big for me, I want to enjoy it right now and then after a few day will figure out what more to do."
India dominated from the start
Coming to the match, India scored 255/5 in their 20 overs, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju giving India an amazing start. Later on, it was Ishan Kishan who also scored an half century. A Shivam Dube 26 off 8 balls helped the side to go past 250 runs.
While chasing, New Zealand were never close, as they kept losing wickets. Though there were some drop catches, India completely dominated the Kiwis. Tim Seifert was the only batter to score a half-century. The second-highest score was scored by captain Mitchell Santner, who scored 43.
Jasprit Bumrah finished off with 4/15; it was the best bowling figures by a pacer in a T20 World Cup final. He also won the Player of the Match for his excellent performance in the final.
Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah crowned ‘GOAT’ after match-winning spell in T20 World Cup final
from Cricket Addictor https://ift.tt/n5MohVK
