Kamal Ghorui
Former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting gave star England allrounder Will Jacks a perfect 10/10 rating for his performances in the T20 World Cup. Indian stars Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah followed closely with 9.5/10.Sanju Samson was named Player of the Tournament for his impressive performances in the second half of the campaign. Players from Pakistan, New Zealand, England, and South Africa were also among the nominees.Samson was India’s top run-scorer and finished third overall in the tournament, while Bumrah ended as joint-highest wicket-taker, including a four-wicket haul in the final against New Zealand.Ponting also highlighted other top performers: openers Tim Seifert and Sahibzada Farhan led the run charts, earning ratings of 9/10 and 9.5/10, respectively.India became the first team to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title, defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium on March 8, and also became the first team to win the tournament three times.
In the final, New Zealand won the toss and chose to field first, but Abhishek Sharma made them regret it with a blazing 52 off 21 balls, including six fours and three sixes. He shared a 98-run partnership with Sanju Samson, who then added a century stand with Ishan Kishan (54 off 25 balls, four fours and four sixes), helping India cross the 200-run mark by the 16th over.Shivam Dube finished unbeaten on 26 off just eight balls, taking India to 255/5, the highest total in a T20 World Cup final. James Neesham was New Zealand’s best bowler with 3/46.In reply, India’s bowlers, led by Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah, reduced New Zealand to 72/5, despite a quick fifty from Tim Seifert (52 off 26 balls). A brief partnership between Daryl Mitchell (17) and captain Mitchell Santner (43 off 35 balls) wasn’t enough, as India kept taking wickets and bundled the Kiwis out for 159, securing a comfortable victory.
