India Vs New Zealand Final Highlights, T20 World Cup: Men In Blue Create History, Thrash NZ To Clinch 3rd Title

Hello cricket fans! It's Sunday, and we're here to make your weekend ever special with the live coverage of the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 between India and New Zealand, at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Stay tuned for the live score and play-by-play updates of the match here.

The weather of Ahmedabad for the final between India and New Zealand is clear with no probability of rain.

6:00 PM (34°C): Sunny and hot; 0% rain probability.

7:00 PM (32°C): Clear skies with hazy sunshine; 0% rain probability.

8:00 PM – 11:00 PM (27°C): Perfectly clear under lights; 0% rain probability.

Check out the hourly weather report here.

Matches: 30

India: 18

New Zealand: 11

Tied/No Result: 1

New Zealand: Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner(c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy

India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav

The live action will begin at 7:00 PM IST, while the toss will take place at 6:30. The match will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network and will be streamed live on the Jio Hotstar app.

As the start time of the final nears, the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium is coming to its own with the fans in Blue coming in huge numbers. The excitement in the air is palpable.

The closing ceremony of the T20 World Cup final has begun with the performance of Falguni Pathak followed by pop icon Ricky Martin. The vibe of the stadium is energetic as 70% of it is full with a roads outside packed, which means that it's going to be a full-house today.

Mitchell Santner has won the toss and New Zealand will field first against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

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

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

Both sets of players and the match officials are in the field for the national anthems. New Zealand's anthem is sung first, followed by India's. However, another moment that caught the attention of fans worldwide was when MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, both T20 World Cup-winning captains, brought in the T20 trophy for the final.

Indian openers - Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma make their way into the middle for the ultimate showdown in front of a packed crowd, while Mat Henry starts the proceeding with the ball for New Zealand.

IND 0/0 (0)

After hitting two boundaries to Jacob Duffy, Abhishek Sharma got a scare on the fourth ball as the pull shot falls just forward of a diving Glenn Philips in the deep mid-wicket boundary. India still manage to get 14 runs from the over and are off to a decent start.

IND 27/0 (3)

Another expensive over by New Zealand, 23 runs comes from the over. Abhishek Sharma started the over with a six and a boundary followed by the same by Sanju Samson. India are off to a flying start, exactly what the doctor ordered for them. NZ might have missed a trick here by bowling fast bowlers against Indian batter, who love pace on the bowl.

IND 51/0 (4)

That's carnage at the Narendra Modi Stadium by the Indian openers as Sanju Samson (33*) and Abhishek Sharma (31*) take Mat Henry for 21 runs in the 5th over to get India to an absolute flyer. Henry has either bowled wide and slower in the over and both the openers picked the balls well to deposit them out of the stands.

IND 72/0 (5)

Abhishek Sharma takes 20 runs from the over and India gets to an 18-ball fifty at the biggest stage. What a remarkable return to form and that too in a World Cup final. Abhishek Sharma slams six fours and three sixes in this unbeaten 18-balll half-century to give India a major headstart in the final. NZ bowlers and captain doesn't seem to have any answer to the onslaught currently.

IND 92/0 (6)

Abhishek Sharma blazed an 18-ball half-century at the biggest cricketing stage. It is the fastest T20 fifty by any batter in the history of T20 World Cups.

Despite losing Abhishek Sharma, Indian batters are carrying on with the onslaught as Ishan Kishan takes Ravindra for 12 runs to carry on the momentum. Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma departs after blasting 52 runs off just 21 balls to give India one hell of a start.

IND 110/1 (8)

Half of the powerplay is done, and India is marching towards a mammoth first innings total in the final. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan takes 12 runs off the 10th over to take India's score to 127. With 9 wickets in the bank, India will look to go berserk on a placid wicket to get to a huge score.

IND 127/1 (10)

This is batting of the highest order by the Indian batters. Ishan Kishan (34*) and Sanju Samson (67*) smash three sixes and one four of the Lockie Ferguson's over to take 24 runs from the over and take India closer to a gigantic score in the final.

IND 161/1 (12)

This is Sanju Samson's third consecutive half-century in the World Cup and with it, he becomes only the third batter T20 WC history to smash half-centuries in both the semi-final and final after Shahid Afridi (2009) and Virat Kohli (2014).

What was looking as a good over in the first three balls was altered by the in-form Sanju Samson with three beautiful sixes. 20 runs from the 14th over of Rachin Ravindra and Sanju Samson (88*) is racing closer to a massive World Cup century. Drinks are coming on the field amid the onslaught.

IND 191/1 (14)

With the first six of the 14th over, India hit their 100th six of the tournament. It is the most the sixes by an team in the tournament.

A triple wicket over by Jimmy Neesham and gave just runs from it. Sanju Samson fall for 89 off the first ball of the over followed by Ishan Kishan by a low full-toss on the 5th wicket and then Suryakumar Yadav falls on the last ball. A very quite over against the run of play with three key wickets. Can New Zealand claw their way back into the game from here or is it too late?

IND 204/4 (16)

Since Jimmy Neesham bowled the triple wicket over, the boundaries have dried up and New Zealand are dragging back things slowly. Though Hardik hits a four on the fifth ball, only 9 runs came from the over and 250 is slowing looking an uphill taske from here.

IND 220/4 (18)

Hardik Pandya smashes a six off the first over of the 19th over and just as it was looking that Pandya is getting his rhythm back, he skies a well-directed slow ball bouncer by Mat Henry and falls for 18 off 12 balls.

IND 226/5 (18.2)

It's Shivam Dubey's world and we are just living in it. Just as it looking that NZ have pulled back things, Dubey blasts 24 runs off the last over of the best bowler of the match so far to get India to over 250. Dubey finishes with 26 off just 8 balls with 3 fours and two sixes to gives India a perfect finish after a small blip. New Zealand will have to score 256 runs to win the T20 World Cup in 20 overs.

IND 255/5 (20)

When the last time both these teams faced each other in the fifth match of the T20I bilateral series, Finn Allen smashed a blistering 38-ball 80, while chasing a mammoth 272.

Kiwi openers - Finn Allen and Tim Siefert make their into the middle. They have a huge task of providing New Zealand to a rollicking start, if they want to stay in the chase. A world Cup title is at stake and 256 runs stand in the way of NZ and the trophy that too in just 20 overs. Arshdeep Singh will start the proceeding for India with the ball.

NZ 0/0 (0)

Arshdeep Singh almost gets the Finn Allen but Shivam Dubey makes a complete mess of the opportunity at the mid off boundary. NZ off to a cautious start to their chase with only four runs.

NZ 4/0 (1)

Out! India draw the first blood and it is the big wicket of last match's centurion Finn Allen. Axar Patel was brought into the attack given the NZ openers record against left-arm spin and the match paid off well as Allen departs for just 9 off 7 balls.

NZ 32/1 (3)

Jasprit Bumrah and his knack of picking wicket off the first ball, comes into a attack, bowls a well-disguised slower ball and induces Rachin Ravindra into a false short, and Ishan Kishan takes a blinder while running in from the deep mid-wicket boundary.

NZ 32/2 (3.1)

Bapu as Axar Patel is lovingly known among players is weaving his magic in Ahmedabad. Patel bowls a beautiful slider to Glenn Philips, which tailed in and uprooted the stumps. New Zealand are under heaps of trouble as a gigantic target looms large at them.

NZ 47/3 (5)

That's the powerplay done and dusted and India are completely on top of New Zealand at the moment with three wickets in the bag. Axar Patel, has been the pick of the bowlers so far, with two crucial wickets and it's like an uphill take for NZ from here.

NZ 52/3 (6)

Tim Siefert seems like fighting a lone battle as he take down Varun Chakravarthy for 2 sixes to get to his half-century. The Kiwi openers smashed a 23-ball fifty including two fours and 5 sixes to keep NZ in chase.

Bowled! New Zealand lose their fourth wickets and Mark Chapman slices a hard length delivery by Hardik Pandya into his stumps. Pandya gets his first of the match and the NZ's innings goes into complete disarray.

NZ 72/4 (8)

It was a drag down delivery by Varun Chakravarthy and Tim Siefert could have hit it to any part of the ground but he hits it straight into the hands of Ishan Kishan at the deep mid-wicket boundary, who takes a brilliant catch to send the dangerous looking Siefert back.

NZ 83/5 (9)

Sixth wicket down! NZ fall deeper and deeper sand into the sand they stand it as Daryl Mitchell hits a full toss by Axar Patel straight into the hands of Ishan Kishan at the deep mid-wicket boundary. Earlier in the over, some sloppy work by Hardik Pandya at point, gave Kiwi skipper Mitchell Santner another but IND made a comeback with the wicket of Mitchell.

NZ 128/6 (13)

Bowled! Two wickets in an over. Jasprit Bumrah bowls a scintillating slow-ball yorker that rattles Jimmy Neesham's stumps. But Bumrah being the magician he is follows it by another remarkable slow-ball yorker and castling Mat Henry's stumps.

NZ 143/8 (16)

Jacob Duffy hits it straight into the hands of Tilak Varma at the long on boundary and with it India lifts the T20 World Cup for the second time in the row. India beat New Zealand by 96 runs to defend their title and lift the coveted trophy.

NZ 159 (19)

Abhishek Sharma credits team management and support staff for the backing he received during the bad patch and also admits being emotional at certain times.

Varun Chakravarthy Admits he and Abhishek used to sit together and discuss as they were both going through bad patches. Varun reveals their discussions used to be based on what is going wrong. But he also adds that two back-to-back ICC trophies feel 'surreal'.

The fun-loving Arshdeep Singh is celebrating and he tells presenter Harsha Bhogle that he has apologised to Daryl Mitchell for the angry exchange earlier. He also said that after two three days the feeling will sink in, for now he is numb. He also admitted to make reels and that he has 15-20 ideas for them.

Jasprit Bumrah wins the player of the match award for his spell of 4/15. He has produced another sensational performance on a surface well-suited for batting. One of the legends of the game now and he has lived upto his reputation in the competition.

For his three back-to-back half-centuries and match-winning knocks in must-win games, Sanju Samson was awarded the player of the tournament award. Samson admits he was visualising this moment for a long time but the opportunity never arrived for him. He also thanks Sachin Tendulkar and reveals that he consulted him for guidance.

India's prime minister Hon. Narendra Modi also wished team India on their historic feat.

"Champions! Congratulations to the Indian team on winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup! This remarkable triumph reflects exceptional skills, determination and teamwork. They have shown outstanding grit through the tournament. This victory has filled every Indian heart with pride and joy. Well done, Team India," Narendra Modi tweeted.

2024 T20 World Cup final's 'Player of the Match' and Indian great Virat Kohli also took to social to convey his heartfelt wishes.

"Champions Phenomenal win for Team India in Ahmedabad. Absolutely no match for the explosive cricket played by us throughout the tournament. Brilliant character shown by the boys to keep fighting in tough situations and become world champions once again. Congratulations to all the players and all the members of the management for achieving this feat. Jai Hind," Virat wrote on X.

"Proud of the boys to make it this far. Obviously we had some challenges throughout but at each stage we put up a good fight. Today we got outplayed by a great team in front of a great crowd. To see a big sea of blue, obviously India were home favourites. Playing a home World Cup comes with a lot of pressure. But yeah SKY and the boys should be very very proud. Different guys stood up at different stages. In the Super Eight and semi-finals we put up a good fight but tonight we were obviously outplayed."

"[Has it sunk in?] I think it'll take a little bit of time but definitely very happy. Been a long journey. Started post the 2024 World Cup. Jay Shah, Rohit bhai, they all showed faith in me and gave me opportunity to lead. From there it's been a long journey and coming here and winning it. We have been playing good cricket in the last two years and we just wanted to follow the good cricketing habits that we had in the 2024 World Cup. Boys took it really well. [On keeping faith in players] I think it's really important to understand what they are capable of. And I knew they had the match winners in them. The timing was perfect. Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma they are top players and we knew they would do something special, and they did it in the final. Bumrah is a once-in a generation bowler. I can call him a national treasure. He knows how it needs to be done, he is the best in the business."

The T20 World Cup 2026 is over, but there will be no shortage of cricket action in times to come as after a small break, the Indian Premier League is set to commence from March 28 to May 31.

That's a wrap from our end. We'll be back soon with another blog soon, until then, bye bye.