India produced a ruthless, near-flawless performance to retain the T20 World Cup title they won in the Caribbean two years ago, steamrolling New Zealand by 96 runs in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.

The Kiwis, who had marched into the final after ending South Africa’s unbeaten run in the Calcutta semi-final, ran into a blue wall. India piled up a daunting 255 for five after being asked to bat and then bundled New Zealand out for 159 with an over to spare, sealing one of the most emphatic wins in a World Cup final.

India had been given a wake-up call earlier in the tournament when South Africa handed them a heavy defeat in the Super Eight stage, leaving them needing four straight wins to lift the trophy. From that point on, Surya Kumar Yadav’s men put their foot on the accelerator and never looked back, playing like a side on a mission and delivering the knockout punch when it mattered most.

It was a triumph built not just on star power but on depth and system. India’s conveyor belt of talent keeps churning out match-winners, and their bench strength is the envy of the cricketing world. You may grumble about their strong-arm tactics in the corridors of power, but there is no denying the machine they have built. The result is domination across formats – men’s, women’s and Under-19 – echoing the era of Australian supremacy. At the moment, India are the team everyone else is chasing.

The victory was India’s biggest in T20 World Cup history and made them the first team to win the title three times. Former captains Rohit Sharma, who led the side to the 2024 crown and M.S. Dhoni, the architect of the inaugural triumph in 2007, were present at the venue to witness another chapter of Indian cricketing glory.

New Zealand, however, got their sums wrong. Their seamers stuck to predictable pace and failed to mix things up, allowing India’s openers to cash in during the powerplay.

Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson came out all guns blazing, racing to 98 for the first wicket in just 7.1 overs and putting the Kiwis immediately on the back foot. Abhishek set the tone with a blistering 52 off 22 balls, while Samson anchored the charge with a sparkling 89 off 46 deliveries, peppered with five fours and eight towering sixes.

Samson had been India’s banker throughout the tournament, striking three consecutive half-centuries during the campaign and walking away with the Player of the Series award.

The fireworks did not stop there. Ishan Kishan chipped in with a breezy 54 off 25 balls at number three as India threatened to push past the 270 mark. New Zealand managed to drag things back slightly at the death, but chasing 256 in a World Cup final was always going to be a bridge too far.

India’s bowlers then applied the squeeze. Jasprit Bumrah led the charge with a masterclass in fast bowling, finishing with figures of four for 15 and walking away with the Man of the Match award as New Zealand’s chase fizzled out quickly.

Rex Clementine in Ahmedabad

Sri Lanka Under-19 player Viran Chamuditha produced a superb all-round performance to power St. Servatius’ College Matara to a convincing innings and 55-run victory over Lumbini College in their Under-19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket tournament match played at the BRC Ground on Monday.

‎Chamuditha, who had earlier dazzled with the bat, went on to claim a match haul of ten wickets to seal an emphatic win for the Matara school.

‎After being forced to follow on when they were dismissed for 112 runs in their first innings, Lumbini showed some resistance in the second innings. Pasindu Maheesha, Linoth Methmal and Jayanitha Mendis offered brief fightbacks as they batted for nearly 50 overs, but the side was eventually bowled out for 183 runs.

‎Chamuditha led the bowling attack with a fine five wicket hal for 48 runs, sharing eight wickets in the innings with Lasindu Ramanayake. The pair had also been the main wicket takers in the first innings as St. Servatius’ dominated with the ball.

‎The foundation for the comprehensive victory had earlier been laid by the Servatius’ top order who piled up an imposing 350 for six wickets in 50 overs.

‎Heshan Madushanka top-scored with a fluent 128 runs off 147 deliveries, an innings studded with 16 boundaries and a six. Opener Risinu Kithmuka provided early impetus with a brisk 64 off 47 balls.

‎Chamuditha then capped the innings with a blistering knock of 83 runs off just 31 balls, smashing eight fours and six sixes. The explosive innings came after the young all-rounder had broken batting records at the ICC Youth World Cup, further underlining his immense potential.

‎With both bat and ball, Chamuditha’s outstanding display ensured St. Servatius’ completed a dominant victory.