An Indian Cricket Team batter has made the highest score in a T20 World Cup final, scoring an attacking 89 against New Zealand. This score also makes him the third player in history to score a half-century in the semi-final and the final of a T20 World Cup.
The ongoing India vs New Zealand match is the final of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The tournament is hosted by India, with some matches played in Sri Lanka. This match is being played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. On a batting-friendly pitch, the Kiwis won the toss and decided to bat first.
To open the innings for India, the pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson took to the field. While Abhishek has been in poor form throughout this competition, Sanju has been in sublime form.
Sanju Samson Breaks Records With 89 T20 WC Final
Not a part of the playing XI at the start of the tournament, Sanju has played four out of the seven games. In the last two, both of which have been knockouts, he has made 97 and 89, respectively. For both of these matches, he was named the Player of the Match. The 97 came against West Indies in the last Super 8 game, while the 89 came against England in the semi-finals.
Today, Sanju opened India’s scoring with a six in the first over. After Abhishek Sharma found some form, Samson’s next boundary came at the end of the third over. The 31-year-old hit a six and a four in the fourth over. In the fifth over, he hit a six and was going shoulder to shoulder with Abhishek.
The last over of the powerplay belonged to Sharma, so Sanju’s next boundary came in the seventh over. After Abhishek’s dismissal, the incoming Ishan Kishan kept the run rate up, matching Sanju Samson in boundary hitting.
By the end of the 10th over, Kishan had played the most balls in this partnership. Sanju was playing at 48 off 30 and reached the 50-run milestone with a six in the next over. With this, he became only the third cricketer to score a half-century in the semi-final and the final of a T20 World Cup. This feat was first recorded by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi in 2009 and was then repeated by Virat Kohli in 2014.
He rapidly increased his strike rate after this point, dealing in boundaries and sixes. By the time the CSK wicketkeeper got out at the start of the 16th over, he had scored 89 off 46, breaking another record with this score.
Sanju’s 89 is the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final. This record was previously held by Marlon Samuels and Kane Williamson, who scored 85 each in the 2016 and 2021 finals.
India is currently on the front foot of the 2026 T20 World Cup final, aiming towards another 250+ total. But a bunch of wickets falling together has made that task difficult.
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