India opener Sanju Samson produced a sensational knock in the T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, smashing 89 off just 46 balls to register the highest individual score in the tournament summit clash.
The wicketkeeper-batter broke Marlon Samuels' long-standing record. Samuels had slammed 85* off 66 balls in West Indies’ win over England in the T20 World Cup final a decade back at the Eden Gardens.
Samson also bettered compatriot Virat Kohli's 77, which came in a losing cause against Sri Lanka in the 2014 T20 World Cup final. In doing so, the right-hander became only the third batter after Kohli and Pakistan's Shahid Afridi to score a fifty in both the semi-final and the final of a T20 World Cup.
The innings also marked Samson's third consecutive 50-plus score in the competition, placing him among an elite group of players to achieve the feat in T20 World Cups, alongside Mahela Jayawardene, Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, KL Rahul, Kusal Mendis and Sahibzada Farhan.
Earlier, Abhishek Sharma (52 off 21) saved his best for the final, hammering the fastest fifty of the tournament, off just 18 balls. Ishan Kishan also slammed 54 off 25 with 4 fours and as many sixes.
While India suffered a mini collapse in the 16th over as Jimmy Neesham bagged three wickets, Shivam Dube’s onslaught (26* off 8) in the final over propelled the hosts to a gigantic 255/5 in 20 overs -- the highest-ever total by a team in a T20 World Cup final.
Cricket fraternity heaped praise on Sanju Samson for laying the foundation of India’s colossal total in the title clash.
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