Sanju Samson’s blistering 89 off 46 balls helped India rack up a massive 255-5 against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The in-form Samson, who hit 97 not out and 89 in his previous two innings, hit five fours and eight sixes to thrill a crowd of over 100,000 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
India are looking to become the first team to retain the trophy, the first to win it on home soil and the first to claim a third world T20 crown.
Samson’s opening stand of 98 with Abhishek Sharma, who hit 52 off 21 balls, laid the platform for the second-highest total of this edition as India surpassed their 256 against Zimbabwe in the Super Eights.
Put in to bat first, Abhishek waited for an over before he launched a batting blitz, and Samson joined in to flay the opposition attack to all parts of the ground.
India raced to 92 in the first six overs of powerplay when only two fielders were allowed outside the inner circle.
Rachin Ravindra broke the stand with his left-arm spin to send back Abhishek caught behind after the opener reached his second fifty of the tournament.
Samson was joined by Ishan Kishan, who made 54, and the two once again demolished New Zealand’s bowling.
Samson reached his third successive fifty and changed gears to hit Ravindra for three straight sixes.
Jimmy Neesham pulled things back for New Zealand with three wickets in one over. He removed Samson, Kishan and skipper Suryakumar Yadav for a duck – the last two on successive balls.
But Shivam Dube finished with a flourish, blasting an unbeaten 26 off eight balls as he hit Neesham for three fours and two sixes in the 20th over.
New Zealand will need a record chase in their attempt to win their first World Cup title.
