Cricket delivered one of its more bewildering statistical curiosities in the T20 World Cup final when Jimmy Neesham bowled one run and three wickets in a single over — a combination so rare as to feel almost impossible. But even that moment of New Zealand brilliance couldn’t change the inevitable outcome: India won by 96 runs, retaining the World Cup and making history as the first men’s team to successfully defend the title. The hosts’ 100,000 fans didn’t mind the momentary wobble in the least.
India had already established such a commanding position before Neesham’s strange over that losing three wickets in five deliveries was little more than a dramatic footnote. At the drinks break after 14 overs, India stood at 191 for one, and the only question being asked was whether 300 was achievable. Sanju Samson was particularly destructive in those middle overs, smashing three consecutive deliveries into the stands.
The final total of 255 was anchored by Samson’s 89 off 46, Sharma’s 50 off 18, and Kishan’s 54 off 25 — three performances of the highest quality from India’s top three. The powerplay of 92 without loss equalled a World Cup record. New Zealand’s bowlers, including Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry, went for 24 and 21 respectively in their opening spells, a significant handicap from which they never recovered.
Bumrah’s three-wicket haul with slow yorkers was the decisive bowling performance, dismantling New Zealand’s batting order with precise, controlled aggression. New Zealand ended on 159, having come nowhere close to threatening the target at any point in their innings. Seifert’s half-century was the solitary bright spot.
India are champions of the world, again. For the players, the fans, and Indian cricket as a whole, this is a moment of pure, unalloyed joy. They have earned every ounce of it.