Team India celebrated a triumphant victory in the T20 World Cup 2026 final, defeating New Zealand by 96 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, a notable absence in the celebratory image was Sanju Samson, who was named the ‘Player of the Tournament.’ This sparked speculation among fans on social media, with some suggesting that Shubman Gill might have intentionally left out the Kerala-born cricketer from the picture.
Some users have theorized that jealousy over Samson’s impressive performances at the top of the order could be a contributing factor. Adding to the intrigue, Team India’s opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal shared a similar image on his social media, in which Samson was also not present.
In the final match, Samson played a pivotal role, scoring 89 runs off 46 balls, featuring five boundaries and eight sixes. Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan also made significant contributions, with Abhishek scoring 52 runs from 21 balls and Ishan hitting 54 runs off 25 deliveries. Shivam Dube capped off the innings with a blistering 26 runs from just eight balls, helping the ‘Men in Blue’ set a formidable total of 255 runs for the loss of five wickets.
New Zealand’s James Neesham recorded figures of three wickets for 46 runs in four overs, while Matt Henry and Rachin Ravindra each claimed one wicket. In response, the ‘Black Caps’ were bowled out for 159 runs in 19 overs. Tim Seifert led their batting charge with 52 runs off 26 balls, supported by skipper Mitchell Santner, who scored 43 runs from 35 balls.
On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah shone for India, taking four wickets for just 15 runs in four overs. Vice-captain Axar Patel also excelled, claiming three wickets for 27 runs in three overs. Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Abhishek Sharma each contributed with a wicket, while Arshdeep Singh went wicketless in this decisive final.