History by India! Suryakumar Yadav & Co become first team to defend T20 World Cup title; full list of winners from 2007
History by India! Suryakumar Yadav & Co become first team to defend T20 World Cup title; full list of winners from 2007
India became the first team to defend their T20 World Cup title after the Men in Blue hammer New Zealand by 96 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Chasing India's 255/5, New Zealand managed 159. With this win, India became the most successful side in the history of the tournament, having won the silverware in 2007 and 2024.
This was New Zealand's second loss in the final of the T20 World Cup, having finished runners-up also in 2021. It was also the first time a home team won a T20 World Cup.
Full list of T20 World Cup winners since 2007
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
| 2026 | India | New Zealand |
| 2024 | India | South Africa |
| 2022 | England | Pakistan |
| 2021 | Australia | New Zealand |
| 2016 | West Indies | England |
| 2014 | Sri Lanka | India |
| 2012 | West Indies | Sri Lanka |
| 2010 | England | Australia |
| 2009 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
| 2007 | India | Pakistan |
How India defeated New Zealand
New Zealand won the toss and put India to bat first. The Men in Blue got off to a strong start, with Sanju Samson (89) and Abhishek Sharma (52) forging a 98-run stand for the first wicket. Samson continued his impressive form, scoring his third 50-plus score in as many matches.
Abhishek, on the other hand, also rose to the occasion when it mattered the most for the Men in Blue. The 25-year-old was coming into this match on the back of a poor run of form, barring a half-century against Zimbabwe. He began the tournament with three consecutive ducks, then went onto score just 15 runs against South Africa.
Despite scoring a half-century against Zimbabwe, Abhishek was under immense pressure after aggregating just 19 runs across the next two matches against West Indies. This meant that Abhishek was under immense pressure, and despite facing criticism from all corners, he managed to overcome his poor form and put up a stupendous performance.
Once Abhishek was dismissed, Ishan Kishan walked out to bat and picked up where Abhishek left off. Kishan, who forged a 105-run stand with Sanju Samson, scored 54 runs from just 24 balls, hitting four fours and as many sixes.
Towards the end of the innings, Hardik Pandya (18 runs from 13 balls) and Shivam Dube (26 runs from eight balls) played crucial cameos to take India to 255/5.
In New Zealand's run chase, Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/15 from four overs. Tim Seifert was the Kiwis' top-scorer with 52 runs, whereas skipper Mitchell Santner scored 43 runs.
However, none of the other batters could convert starts into big knocks, and that hurt the Black Caps big time, as they were all out for 159 in 19 overs.
Catch the live action of the T20 World Cup 2026 with the complete T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule, and the T20 World Cup 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts for Most Runs in T20 World Cup 2026 and Most Wickets in T20 World Cup 2026.
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
Stay updated with all the latest news and insights on Cricket, Football, and Tennis at Livemint Sports. Catch the live action of theT20 World Cup 2026 with the complete T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule, and the T20 World Cup 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts for Most Runs in T20 World Cup 2026 and Most Wickets in T20 World Cup 2026.