If one moment captured the magic of India’s T20 World Cup final performance, it was Ishan Kishan’s freak dismissal of Rachin Ravindra. Sprinting toward the ball and diving forward to complete the catch, Kishan seemed to have it — until the impact of his landing dislodged it from his hands, his cap fell forward over his eyes, and somehow the ball lodged between his chin and arm. Out. Only India could produce that on the biggest night.
India had already scored 255 runs by the time that moment arrived, a total built on three dazzling fifties from Sharma, Samson, and Kishan himself. The powerplay was magnificent — 92 for no loss — and the middle overs, despite a collapse of four wickets, still yielded plenty. Dube’s ferocious final over provided late drama and 24 extra runs.
New Zealand’s chase was over almost before it began. Ravindra, dismissed via the miracle catch, was their second wicket in just 19 balls. The top order offered little beyond Seifert, who was fighting alone from an early stage. Finn Allen, the tournament’s most destructive batter before the final, made nine runs. The rest of the order contributed even less.
Bumrah was the orchestrator of New Zealand’s collapse, his slow yorkers delivering three wickets and stifling the middle order’s ability to rotate strike. India’s fielding, despite two notable drops from Dube and Pandya, was otherwise sharp and athletic. With the result sealed, New Zealand fell for 159 and the celebrations began.
India won by 96 runs, retained the T20 World Cup, and secured it on home soil for the first time in history. Kishan’s bizarre catch — equal parts disaster and genius — was the perfect metaphor for a team that finds a way to win whatever the circumstances.