India tightened their grip on the T20 World Cup final after spinner Varun Chakravarthy continued his remarkable tournament, becoming the leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets.
The spinner also extended his remarkable consistency by taking at least one wicket for the twenty-second consecutive match, dismissing New Zealand opener Tim Seifert with a catch at deep midwicket.
Despite earlier striking two sixes off Chakravarthy during the innings, Seifert eventually fell as New Zealand slipped further into trouble while chasing a huge Indian total.
At that stage New Zealand were struggling at 70 for five, highlighting the growing impact of Chakravarthy’s performances throughout the tournament and underlining his status as India’s most effective bowler.
India bowlers tighten the contest
India’s bowling attack provided early breakthroughs during the chase as Jasprit Bumrah removed Rachin Ravindra with a slower ball, caught by Ishan Kishan running in from long leg.
Bumrah bowled two overs in the powerplay and conceded just nine runs while taking one wicket, helping India maintain control and forcing New Zealand’s required run rate to climb rapidly.
Spin also played a decisive role when Axar Patel dismissed Finn Allen early before later removing Glenn Phillips, continuing a remarkable record against the batter.
New Zealand’s difficulties increased further when Hardik Pandya dismissed Mark Chapman after he played the ball onto his stumps during a disappointing tournament campaign.
India post record World Cup final total
Earlier, India had posted a formidable total of 255 runs, the highest score recorded in a T20 World Cup final, after a powerful batting display led by Sanju Samson.
Samson scored 89 from 46 balls, while Ishan Kishan added a rapid half-century from just 23 deliveries to maintain India’s momentum throughout the innings.
The total also highlighted India’s batting dominance in the tournament, including a powerplay score of 92 runs earlier in the match and several record-breaking performances across their top order.
