Sanju Samson fell short of a century once again, but on the biggest stage he delivered a knock that will be remembered for a long time.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter smashed a brilliant 89 in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, giving India a powerful start.
His innings turned out to be the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final, going past Marlon Samuels’ 85 for West Indies in 2016*. It also eclipsed Kane Williamson’s 86 for New Zealand in the 2021 final.
From the moment he walked out, Samson looked confident and in control. He attacked the bowlers with freedom, mixing crisp boundaries with clever placement, and kept the scoreboard moving at a rapid pace. The crowd sensed a special innings as he moved closer to a century.
But just when the milestone seemed within reach, Samson mistimed a full toss from James Neesham, and Cole McConchie completed a running catch near the boundary. The Indian star walked back after a superb 89, falling just short of what could have been a historic hundred.
Even without the century, Samson’s knock capped an outstanding run in the tournament. It was his third consecutive half-century in the 2026 T20 World Cup, showing his consistency in high-pressure games.
The innings also put him in elite company. Samson became only the third player to score fifties in both the semifinal and final of a T20 World Cup, joining Shahid Afridi (2009) and Virat Kohli (2014).
Earlier, in the semifinal against England, Samson had played another decisive innings, scoring 89 off just 42 balls to power India into the final.
| 50s in Semis & Final (T20 WC) | Year |
|---|---|
| Shahid Afridi | 2009 |
| Virat Kohli | 2014 |
| Sanju Samson | 2026 |
| Most Consecutive 50+ Scores (T20 WC) | |
|---|---|
| Mahela Jayawardene | 3 (2010) |
| Virat Kohli | 3 (2016–2021) |
| Babar Azam | 3 (2021) |
| KL Rahul | 3 (2021) |
| Kusal Mendis | 3 (2026) |
| Sahibzada Farhan | 3 (2026) |
| Sanju Samson | 3 (2026) |