India break calendar year record with 4th 250-plus score of 2026 in T20WC final

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 8 (ANI): The Indian cricket team has set a new benchmark in Men's T20 cricket by registering its fourth 250-plus score in 2026, marking the highest number of such totals by any team in a single calendar year.
India's latest 250+ total came during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Team India posted 271/5 against New Zealand during the 5th T20I of the home series at Thiruvananthapuram.
After this, India slammed three 250+ scores in the T20 World Cup 2026 edition. The Men in Blue posted 256/4 vs Zimbabwe during the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup in Chennai. India then hammered 253/7 vs England during the semi-final at Wankhede Stadium.
After this, the defending champions slammed 255/5 vs New Zealand (Mar 8) in the T20 World Cup final.
This highlights the dominance in the shortest format of the game this year and also in the T20 World Cup. This achievement also makes India the second team in Men's T20 history to register three 250-plus scores in a single T20 competition, following Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2024 Indian Premier League season.
Additionally, India is also leading the pack with seven 250-plus team totals, followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad with five. Other teams with 250+ totals include West Indies (3), Zimbabwe (3), and Surrey (3).
Coming to the match, NZ won the toss and elected to field first. However, a return-to-form, record-breaking fifty from Abhishek Sharma (52 in 21 balls, with six fours and three sixes) and his 98-run stand with Samson made NZ regret the decision.
Later, Samson stitched a century stand with Ishan Kishan (54 in 25 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) to take India past the 200-run mark in the 16th over.
After a brief slowdown, Shivam Dube (26* in eight balls, with three fours and two sixes) made some valuable runs to take India to 255/5, the highest total in T20WC history.
James Neesham (3/46) was the leading wicket-taker for NZ. (ANI)