“Champions!”: PM Modi congratulates Team India on record T20 World Cup victory

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, March 8 congratulated the India national cricket team for clinching the ICC Men's T20 World Cup title, hailing the team’s exceptional skill, determination and teamwork that powered a historic triumph.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister wrote, “Champions! Congratulations to the Indian team on winning the ICC Men's T20 World Cup!” He said the victory reflected the players’ “exceptional skills, determination and teamwork” and added that their remarkable performance had filled “every Indian heart with pride and joy.”

India produced a commanding display at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to retain their T20 world title, defeating the New Zealand national cricket team by a resounding 96 runs in the final. The emphatic win secured India’s third crown in the tournament’s history, making them the first team to achieve the milestone while also claiming back-to-back global titles in the format.

Opting to bat first, India posted a mammoth 255 for five—the highest total ever recorded in a T20 World Cup final. Openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma provided a blistering start, racing to 92 without loss in the powerplay. Sharma smashed a rapid 52 off just 21 balls to set the tone before departing in the eighth over.

Samson then anchored the innings with a commanding 89 off 46 deliveries, striking eight sixes and registering his third successive half-century in the tournament. Ishan Kishan further accelerated the scoring with a quickfire 54 off 25 balls.

New Zealand briefly fought back when James Neesham struck thrice in a single over to trigger a middle-order wobble. However, Shivam Dube provided the late flourish with an unbeaten 26 off just eight balls, hammering 24 runs in the final over to push India beyond the 250-run mark.

Chasing a daunting 256, New Zealand never recovered after an early blow from Jasprit Bumrah, who dismissed Rachin Ravindra with the very first ball of the innings. Bumrah delivered a sensational spell, finishing with figures of 4 for 15.

Axar Patel chipped in with three crucial wickets for 18 runs, while Varun Chakaravarthy also struck at a key moment. Tim Seifert attempted a counterattack with a brisk 52 off 26 balls, but his dismissal signalled the collapse.

Late contributions from New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner (43) and Lockie Ferguson offered brief resistance before India wrapped up the innings in the 19th over, bowling out the Kiwis for 159.

The dominant victory not only sealed a historic third ICC Men's T20 World Cup title for India but also reaffirmed the team’s supremacy in the shortest format of the game, as a record crowd in Ahmedabad witnessed a night of record-breaking cricket.