Ahmedabad: Sanju Samson continued with his merry run-scoring ways, Abhishek Sharma found form at last, Ishan Kishan was at his blistering best in the T20 World Cup final at Narendra Modi Stadium here on Sunday evening.
At 203/1 in 15 overs, the men in blue looked on course to a total of around 275.
But then India stuttered.
Sanju Samson (89 off 45 balls, 5×4, 8×6) and Ishan Kishan (54 off 25, 4×4, 4×6) plundered 105 runs for the second wicket in just 45 balls after left-hander Abhishek made a typically brisk 52 (21 balls, 6×4, 3×6).
However, Samson, Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav (first-ball duck) all fell in Jimmy Neesham’s third over, 15th of the NZ innings, as they looked to hit keep the momentum of fours and sixes going.
In the end, it was Shivam Dube’s superb cameo of 26 not out in 8 balls, with 3 fours and 2 sixes, that helped India cross 250.
It’s the biggest total by any team in a T20 World Cup knockout game, just like the 253 they had posted against England in the semifinal.
The one-lakh plus crowd will hope that they don’t have to endure the tension that the Wankhede Stadium audience went through three nights ago.
