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India's T20 World Cup-winning skipper Suryakumar Yadav returned to Mumbai on Tuesday to a hero's welcome following Team India's 2026 T20 World Cup win.
Debuting at the age of 30 in 2021, Suryakumar celebrated his fifth year in international cricket with style, leading Men in Blue to their record-breaking third T20 World Cup title and making them the first-ever team to win the T20 World Cup in their own backyard. After arriving at the airport, the Indian skipper had a very simple reaction to being asked how it felt being the champion skipper, saying, "Very good". Suryakumar emerged as the 10th-highest run-getter in the tournament with 242 runs in nine innings at an average of 30.25 and a strike rate of over 136, with one half-century against the USA, a magnificent 84* knock being the highlight. 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 finals. James Neesham (3/46) was the leading wicket-taker for NZ. In the run-chase of 256 runs, Axar Patel (3/23) and Jasprit Bumrah (4/15) reduced the Kiwis to 72/5, despite a half-century from Tim Seifert (52 in 26 balls, with two fours and five sixes). Despite a brief partnership between Daryl Mitchell (17) and skipper Mitchell Santner (43 in 35 balls, with three fours and two sixes), India kept chipping in with wickets, and the Kiwis were bundled out for just 159 runs. (ANI)
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