India win T20 World Cup; full list of tournament champions and runners-up from 2007-2026

Ahmedabad, Sunday – India etched a fresh chapter in cricket history by successfully defending their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title, overwhelming New Zealand by 96 runs in a high-scoring final at the world’s largest cricket stadium. The hosts’ record-shattering 255 for five proved insurmountable, sealing India’s place as the first nation to retain the trophy in the competition’s two-decade existence.

Electing to bat first, India’s top order tore into the New Zealand attack from the opening delivery. Sanju Samson’s belligerent 89, supported by Abhishek Sharma’s 52 and Ishan Kishan’s 26-ball 54, powered the hosts to 98 without loss inside 7.1 overs and past 200 by the 15th. James Neesham briefly interrupted the onslaught, removing Samson, Kishan and captain Suryakumar Yadav in a six-ball burst in the 16th, but Hardik Pandya (18) and Shivam Dube (26*) still propelled India to an unprecedented 255 for five. The final five overs yielded 52 runs, leaving New Zealand needing a tournament-record chase.

The reply never gained traction. Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips fell cheaply, and although Tim Seifert counter-attacked with 52 off 26, Axar Patel (3-27) and Jasprit Bumrah (4-15) ensured regular breakthroughs. Once Seifert departed, the contest was effectively settled; New Zealand were bowled out well short of the target, allowing India to celebrate back-to-back titles in front of a jubilant home crowd.

India, champions in 2024, now join an elite roll-call of T20 World Cup winners stretching back to the inaugural 2007 edition. The full list of champions and runners-up from 2007 through 2026 will be updated by the ICC following the conclusion of the current tournament cycle.