It was number three Ishan Kishan who ensured the fast start was exploited fully, adding his own half century and helping Samson lift India to 1-203 in 15 overs before they were parted. New Zealand breathed momentarily when Samson, Ishan and skipper Suryakumar Yadav all fell in the 16th over, bowled by Jimmy Neesham, but Shivan Dube took 21 runs from the final over of the innings to vault India past 250.
With 5-255 on the board, India had amassed 508 in total across the semi and final. It was a level of batting destruction that took the format to a new level, much as Sri Lanka in 1996 and Australia later on did so in the 50-over game.
Chasing that many runs, New Zealand’s faint hopes rested with their supercharged openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen. Seifert clobbered 21 runs from the second over, delivered by Hardik Pandya, but the flurry of boundaries was not sustained.
This was the case in large part due to the one remaining “galactico” from former Indian teams, the singularly brilliant fast man Jasprit Bumrah.
Bowling the fourth over, he struck with his very first ball, fooling Rachin Ravindra with a change of pace and rejoicing when the resultant edge was claimed by a diving Ishan in the deep. Bumrah would later explain that simply bowling fast was not enough.
“Because I’ve played on belters over here, I have also seen the other team, how they were bowling … I have learnt over here when you are trying to bowl too fast, it gets easier,” Bumrah said.
Jasprit Bumrah makes a family affair of India’s celebrations.Credit: AP
“Shot-making gets easier, sometimes the ball skids on [to the bat], so keep being smart, keep changing your pace and expect what the batsman is trying to do.”
New Zealand slid quickly to 5-72, and the game was essentially done. Though Seifert persisted, and captain Mitchell Santner performed a rearguard, their efforts served largely to give a crowd of 86,824 more time to celebrate the looming reality of back-to-back T20 World Cups for India as the Kiwis were dismissed for 159.
Watching it all with a grin from ear to ear was International Cricket Council chair and former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, sitting in the stadium he had helped his father, Amit Shah, construct a decade ago. The glee on show made a rich contrast with the sullen faces of 2023, a memory that Bumrah was quick to recall as the trophy was wheeled out to be handed to the hosts.
“It feels extremely special because I played one final at my home venue and couldn’t win that one,” Bumrah said.
ICC chairman Jay Shah presents the World Cup trophy to the Indian team.Credit: AP
“This one feels really special. I was really motivated.”
Spurred by 2023, India are now making the very most of their unrivalled talent pipeline, and hoovering up global trophies as quickly as the ICC can put them up for contest.
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Hours before the final, social media was dominated by footage of a Kiwi bowler, Brett Randell, claiming a “triple hat-trick” – five wickets in five balls – in New Zealand domestic cricket.
With the ODI World Cup in South Africa next year, followed by the T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2028, and then cricket’s return to the Olympics in Los Angeles, it would be bold to predict anything other than a similar run of victories for this Indian side.
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