Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Star openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma were at their majestic best in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The duo tore into the New Zealand bowlers in the title clash, putting on a 98-run opening partnership to give India a flying start in the powerplay.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!They laid a solid foundation and helped India post a mammoth 255/5 in the final.
India then bowled New Zealand out for just 159, sealing a commanding 96-run victory to lift the trophy. It was India’s third T20 World Cup title.India created history by securing a record-breaking third T20 World Cup crown and becoming the first team to successfully defend the title and win it as the host nation.
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Samson praised his opening partner Abhishek, describing their partnership as effortless and balanced. He highlighted their combination as “fire and fire”, with both players taking turns to lead the attack.Samson also pointed out the natural Kerala-Punjabi friendship that strengthens their understanding.“We are not ice and fire, we are fire and fire. Sometimes he fires, sometimes I do. We have that kind of combination going. We have done this since 2024; we have a Kerala-Punjabi friendship in the middle. Everything comes pretty naturally to us, so we do not complicate it. He asks me, ‘How is the ball coming?’ I tell him that the ball is coming normally, and hit it for a six. It is really simple with him. Abhishek is very brave and collected. I love his character. I really love the partnership with him on and off the field,” Sanju Samson said at the India Today Conclave.Samson scripted a remarkable comeback during the T20 World Cup as he battled inconsistency and time on the bench to emerge as India’s leading run-scorer in the tournament. He delivered clutch performances when it mattered most, including a string of half-centuries from the virtual quarterfinal against West Indies to the title clash against New Zealand.Samson scored 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37. He smashed 27 fours and 24 sixes and finished as the third-highest run-scorer in the T20 World Cup.
