AHMEDABAD: India won a record third T20 World Cup title and became the first team to defend their crown with a 96-run thumping of New Zealand in a lop-sided final on Sunday. Suryakumar Yadav&#39;s India were also the first team to lift the trophy on home soil as over 86,000 fans celebrated at the Narendra Modi Stadium. England and the West Indies have won two titles each. India beat both those teams en route to the title, including a clutch victory over the West Indies in their final Super Eights match when defeat would have seen them eliminated. &quot;We never panicked. Kept our heads above the water. Teams that do that win the tournament, and I am very happy we did it,&quot; said India bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Sanju Samson&#39;s blistering 89 off 46 balls guided the co-hosts to 255-5, and Bumrah starred as New Zealand were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs. Part-time spinner Abhishek Sharma claimed the final wicket of Jacob Duffy, securing a dominant victory. &quot;I am very grateful for everyone who supported me,&quot; said Samson, who was out of the team earlier in the tournament before reeling off three consecutive scores of 89 or better when it mattered most. &quot;This itself is very big for me. I want to enjoy it right now, and then after a few days, I will figure out what more to do.&quot; Axar Patel struck two early blows, including the dangerous Finn Allen for nine, with his left-arm spin. Bumrah was again at his mesmerising best, delivering a succession of brilliant slower-ball yorkers to finish with figures of 4-15. Opener Tim Seifert hit 52 off 26 balls, but his departure in the ninth over off struggling spinner Varun Chakravarthy effectively ended the Black Caps&#39; slim hopes. Wickets kept tumbling, and Bumrah struck with successive deliveries to bring up a hat-trick ball which was just about negotiated by Lockie Ferguson. Skipper Mitchell Santner hit 43 but was never going to be able to prevent New Zealand from slipping to their second T20 World Cup final loss after they went down to Australia in 2021. India exorcised the ghosts of the past at the same venue from when they were shocked by Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. Samson sparklesEarlier, the in-form Samson, who hit 97 not out and 89 in his previous two innings to keep India in the tournament, hit five fours and eight sixes to thrill the raucous home crowd, which included former World Cup winning captains Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni. Samson&#39;s opening stand of 98 with Abhishek, who plundered 52 off 21 balls, laid the platform for India to go on and score more than 250 for a second straight match, after their seven-run semi-final win over England, and for the third time in the tournament. Abhishek and Samson waited two overs before they launched a batting blitz to flay New Zealand&#39;s attack to all parts of the ground during the powerplay. Rachin Ravindra finally broke the partnership, having Abhishek caught behind off a wide delivery. Samson was joined by Ishan Kishan, who hammered 54 off 25 balls with four fours and as many sixes. Samson reached his third successive fifty and changed gears to hit Ravindra for three straight sixes. Jimmy Neesham pulled things back for New Zealand with three wickets in one over to give them hope of keeping India to a gettable total. He removed Samson, Kishan and Suryakumar for a duck -- the last two on successive balls. But Shivam Dube finished with a flourish, blasting an unbeaten 26 off eight balls as he hit Neesham for three fours and two sixes in the 20th over, leaving New Zealand with far too much to do.

India's players celebrate after winning the 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup final match between India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8, 2026. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP)

Cricket

Sanju Samson's blistering 89 off 46 balls guided India to 255-5, and the co-hosts then bowled out New Zealand for 159 in front of over 86,000 fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

India beat New Zealand to win third T20 World Cup title

WELLINGTON: An unheralded New Zealand domestic bowler on Sunday became the first player in the 254-year history of first-class cricket to take five wickets in five successive deliveries. Brett Randell achieved the feat bowling for Central Districts against Northern Districts on day two of a Plunket Shield four-day match in front of a sparse crowd at Napier&#39;s McLean Park. Records held by the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians show the feat hasn&#39;t been achieved since what it and many other historians recognise as the first documented first-class match, played in 1772. Ireland international Curtis Campher took five wickets in five balls in a domestic Twenty20 match last year, becoming the first player to do so in a professional game. Randell&#39;s right-arm seamers scythed through the ND top order. The 30-year-old clean bowled Henry Cooper with the final delivery of his second over before removing fellow-opener and former New Zealand Test batsman Jeet Raval at the start of his third over. Three more wickets fell from successive balls, including the record-breaking delivery, when international all-rounder Kristian Clarke was bowled. Randell took two further wickets in his following over as ND were skittled for 82 in response to CD&#39;s 373. Randell claimed 7-25, his best figures in a 38-match first-class career that spans nine years.

Brett Randell makes first-class cricket history in Napier, taking five wickets in five successive deliveries for Central Districts against Northern Districts in the Plunket Shield, finishing with best figures as Northern Districts collapse for 82.

New Zealand cricketer sets record with five wickets in five balls

AHMEDABAD: India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said on Saturday there would be &quot;butterflies in the stomach&quot; when he walks out for the T20 World Cup final against <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/allens-record-ton-powers-new-zealand-into-t20-world-cup-final" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Zealand</a>, with expectations sky-high for the hosts. The blockbuster final in Ahmedabad on Sunday is expected to attract over 100,000 fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium and hundreds of millions more watching on TV. Defending champions India are targeting a record third title and looking to become the first team to win back-to-back trophies. No country has previously won the T20 World Cup on home soil. Suryakumar played a key part when Rohit Sharma&#39;s India lifted the World Cup in Barbados in 2024, taking over the captaincy later that year after Rohit retired from international T20s. &quot;Leading such a wonderful side into a final that (is also on) home soil, it&#39;s always a special feeling,&quot; Suryakumar told reporters at a packed news conference. &quot;Of course there are nerves, there will be butterflies in the stomach, but as I always say, &#39;if there is no pressure, there is no fun&#39;. All the boys and the support staff, and I am sure the whole of India is excited for tomorrow.&quot; Top-ranked India have been the team to beat in the tournament and lost just one game en route to the final, when South Africa ended their 12-match unbeaten streak in the Super Eights stage. India have since won three straight matches, holding off England in a tense semi-final as the bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, held their nerve to win by seven runs in a high-scoring thriller. Bumrah, who was India&#39;s hero in their win against South Africa in the 2024 final, bowled a near-perfect 18th over at the Wankhede Stadium to deny England and Jacob Bethell, who hit a valiant 105. &#39;Experience is important&#39; The 35-year-old Suryakumar said having players with experience of major international tournaments adds to their armoury. &quot;There&#39;s a lot of benefit because there are a lot of players in this team who have played a lot of ICC events right from our coach (two-time World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir),&quot; said Suryakumar. &quot;So their experience is also important. And there are a lot of players, like Bumrah, Hardik (Pandya), Axar (Patel), there are a lot of players who have played in ICC events, in pressure situations.&quot; Suryakumar said he learned a lot from Rohit, who was joined by Virat Kohli in retirement after the 2024 T20 World Cup. &quot;The way, where he left, I got to learn a lot of things from him when I was playing under him,&quot; said Suryakumar. &quot;I tried to implement the same things with a few thoughts of mine as well. And it&#39;s worked really well.&quot;

India's captain Suryakumar Yadav (R) looks at the pitch as he interacts with the chairman of the Indian cricket selection committee Ajit Agarkar during the training session on the eve of the 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup final match against New Zea

Defending champions India are targeting a record third title and looking to become the first team to win back-to-back trophies. No country has previously won the T20 World Cup on home soil.


'No pressure, no fun', says India's Suryakumar ahead of World Cup final

COLOMBO: The Super Eight clash between Pakistan and New Zealand in the Twenty20 World Cup was washed out without a ball being bowled after heavy rain in Colombo on Saturday.&nbsp;Persistent drizzle right after the toss which Pakistan won and opted to bat at the Premadasa stadium did not relent with umpires finally calling the match off at 9:05pm local time (15:35 GMT).&nbsp;Not even a five-over match was possible by the 10:16 pm (1646 GMT) cut-off time, giving the two teams one point each.&nbsp;Pakistan, New Zealand, England and co-hosts Sri Lanka are in Group 2 of the Super Eights.&nbsp;Title-holders India, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the West Indies are in Group 1.&nbsp;The top two teams from each Group will qualify for the semi-finals.

The T20 World Cup Super Eight match between Pakistan and New Zealand in Colombo was abandoned due to heavy rain. Both teams shared one point, with semi-final spots reserved for the top two from each group.

Pakistan-New Zealand Super Eight World Cup clash rained off

MOUNT MAUNGANAUI:&nbsp;Devon Conway became just the 10th player in Test history to hit a double century and a century in the same match on Sunday when he reached three figures before tea in New Zealand&#39;s second innings against the West Indies at Mount Maunganui.&nbsp;Conway was on 100 at the break and opening partner Tom Latham on 80 as New Zealand raced to 192-0 and a lead of 347 on the fourth day, backing up his 227 in the first innings.&nbsp;He and captain Latham, who put on a mammoth 323 opening partnership in the first innings with Latham contributing 137, have combined for 515 runs in the match.&nbsp;Conway joins an illustrious list in scoring a double century and a century in the same Test match.&nbsp;Only Doug Walters, Greg Chappell, Marnus Labuschagne, Sunil Gavaskar, Shubman Gill, Lawrence Rowe, Brian Lara, Graham Gooch and Kumar Sangakkara had achieved the feat.&nbsp;Conway&#39;s 327 runs so far are the third highest for New Zealand in a single Test, behind Stephen Fleming&#39;s 343 (274 and 69) against Sri Lanka in 2003, and Martin Crowe&#39;s 329 (30 and 299) against Sri Lanka in 1991.&nbsp;Conway and Latham added 157 runs in the middle session at more than five an over as they looked for quick runs to set up a declaration before the close.&nbsp;New Zealand took four wickets in the morning session as West Indies were 420 all out, with Kavem Hodge left stranded unbeaten on a fine 123 from 275 balls, including 15 boundaries.&nbsp;Jacob Duffy finished with 4-86, including the first two wickets of the day, taking his tally for the three-match series to 18.&nbsp;The West Indies resumed on 381-6, with Hodge on 109 batting alongside Anderson Phillip.&nbsp;Phillip lasted just nine balls and Shai Hope, who missed the last two days because of food poisoning, fell for four.&nbsp;Jayden Seales briefly showed some resistance, making 15 from 53 balls until he was bowled by Ajaz Patel with a ball that grazed the off stump on the way through to the keeper.&nbsp;Kemar Roach was the last man to bat, nursing a hamstring strain suffered on day one, but lasted only two balls.&nbsp;Patel took 3-113 in 41 overs, his first wickets on home soil, while Michael Rae had 2-89.&nbsp;New Zealand made 575-8 declared in their first innings.

Becomes only 10th player in history to achieve this milestone in Test cricket. 

New Zealand's Conway joins elite club with century, double ton in same Test

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia says it is planning to block children under 16 from signing up to social media accounts next year, in a move to tighten access over child-safety concerns. Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said Sunday the government was looking at how Australia and other countries dealt with imposing online age restrictions. &ldquo;We hope that by next year, social media platforms will comply with the government&#39;s decision to bar those under 16 from opening social media accounts,&rdquo; Fahmi said in a video posted online by Malaysian daily The Star. &ldquo;So I believe ... if the government, government agencies and parents each play their respective roles, we can ensure that the internet in Malaysia is not just fast ...but most importantly, safe, especially for children and families,&rdquo; he added. Rising cybercrime&nbsp;Malaysia in recent years has tightened its oversight of social media services in an attempt to combat rising cybercrime. This includes requiring platforms and messaging services with more than eight million users in the country to obtain a license under new regulations that took effect in January. Several MPs in October backed the government&#39;s plan to ban under-16s, calling for proper mechanisms to verify the ages of users when they register for accounts. A survey by Ipsos Malaysia Education Monitor 2025 released by local media in September, revealed that 72% of respondents in Malaysia agreed that the use of social media should be restricted among children. New Zealand to introduce bill&nbsp;In Australia, social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, will be forced to remove users under the age of 16 from December 10 onwards or face hefty fines. New Zealand&#39;s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will also introduce a similar bill to restrict children&#39;s social media use. And the Dutch government advised parents this year to forbid children under 15 from using social media apps such as TikTok and Snapchat. Meanwhile, five EU countries -- Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and Spain -- are testing an app aimed at preventing children from accessing harmful content online by checking users&#39; ages.

Viral

The country in recent years has tightened its oversight of social media services in an attempt to combat rising cybercrime; New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will also introduce a bill to restrict children's social media use.

Malaysia mulls social media ban for under-16s

WELLINGTON: Blair Tickner and Zakary Foulkes made decisive contributions with bat and ball to secure a tense two-wicket win for New Zealand over England on Saturday and a clean sweep of the three-match ODI series.&nbsp;The two tail enders put on an unbroken stand of 30 for the ninth wicket to lift the home side to 226-8 in the 45th over after England had once again struggled with the bat to be dismissed for 222.&nbsp;Seamers Tickner and Foulkes took six wickets between them after England collapsed to 44-5, the visitors&#39; top-order failing once again.&nbsp;England&#39;s top four made a total of 84 runs across the three matches, the fewest by any team in a comparable men&#39;s ODI series or tournament.&nbsp;England were dismissed for 223 in the opening match and 175 in the second.&nbsp;Tickner (4-64) claimed four wickets for the second successive game, while Foulkes (2-27) removed Jamie Smith and Root inside the first four overs.&nbsp;Foulkes&#39; new-ball partner Jacob Duffy (3-56) then accounted for Duckett, Brook and Jacob Bethell.&nbsp;Jamie Overton&#39;s maiden ODI half-century was the foundation of an England recovery, with the all-rounder the last man out for 68 in the 41st over.&nbsp;Brydon Carse also achieved a career-best score in the format, blasting four sixes on his way to 36.&nbsp;New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra scored a bright 46 and Daryl Mitchell continued his fine form with 44, but a steady loss of wickets set up an exciting finish.&nbsp;Overton and Sam Curran took two wickets each, while the home side lost two batsmen to the same unfortunate means of dismissal.&nbsp;Devon Conway and Tom Latham were both run out, caught short of their crease at the bowler&#39;s end following the deflection of straight drives from another batsman.&nbsp;Foulkes was unbeaten on 14 and Tickner not out 18, with their late heroics extending New Zealand&#39;s exceptional run of ODI results on home soil.&nbsp;New Zealand have won 25 of 29 ODI matches on home turf since February 2019, with two losses and two no-results.&nbsp;

New Zealand beat England by two wickets to win the ODI series 3-0. Blair Tickner and Zakary Foulkes shone with bat and ball, while England’s top-order struggles continued throughout the series.

England's batting exposed as New Zealand seal ODI series sweep

Reuters

The opening game of New Zealand&#39;s three-match Twenty20 series with England was abandoned due to heavy rain in Christchurch on Saturday, with the hosts denied the opportunity to chase down a modest total for victory.&nbsp;Play was called off following a long delay after England&#39;s innings, in which the tourists scored 153-6 in 20 overs on a difficult wicket, with Sam Curran (49 not out) finishing well after Jos Buttler (29) failed to build on a good start. The second match takes place at the same venue on Monday before the finale in Auckland on Thursday,&nbsp;as both teams step up their preparations for next year&#39;s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, likely to be held in February-March.&nbsp;New Zealand fast bowlers Matt Henry (1-26) and Jacob Duffy (1-45) made full use of early swing and bounce at Hagley Oval to restrict England to only 44-2 in the opening six powerplay overs before Harry Brook (20) looked to cut loose.&nbsp;Jimmy Neesham (1-20) conceded a couple of huge sixes to the England skipper in the eighth over but gained revenge by getting through his defense, and the tourists&#39; momentum ground to a halt again when Mitch Santner (1-20) removed Tom Banton for nine.&nbsp;The dangerous Buttler also fell to spin shortly afterwards, holing out in the deep while looking to attack Michael Bracewell (1-10),&nbsp;before rain halted play in the 17th over with England on 110-5 and seeking a late charge to boost their total.&nbsp;Kyle Jamieson (1-27) removed Jordan Cox for 16 after the break, but Curran persevered, benefiting from a dropped catch and surviving a loud appeal for lbw to take England to a respectable total with 19 runs in the final over.

The second match takes place at the same venue on Monday before the finale in Auckland on Thursday, as both teams step up their preparations for next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

New Zealand v England T20 series opener abandoned due to rain

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">WELLINGTON:&nbsp;New  Zealand is reimposing sanctions on Iran due to concerns about Iran&#39;s non-compliance with its nuclear obligations, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement on Friday. The statement said the reimposition of United Nations sanctions is a result of Iran not complying with the terms of the internationally recognised Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action which was signed in 2015, and will take effect on October 18. The announcement comes after Britain, France and Germany also reimposed the U.N. sanctions citing Iranian breaches, and after Australia in August accused Iran of directing two antisemitic arson attacks in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne and gave Tehran&#39;s ambassador seven days to leave the country. The sanctions introduce a range of restrictions including an asset freeze and travel bans for sanctioned persons, import and export bans on certain nuclear and military goods, and a duty on New Zealanders to exercise vigilance in dealings with Iran, it added. &ldquo;This reimposition of U.N.-mandated sanctions reflects the international community&rsquo;s deep concerns about Iran&rsquo;s non-compliance with its nuclear obligations and unjustifiable levels of uranium enrichment activity,&rdquo; Peters said. &ldquo;New Zealand has consistently supported diplomatic efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons from any source. We strongly encourage Iran to re-engage in negotiations and resume full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.&rdquo; Peters said New  Zealand will also be introducing a compulsory registration scheme for New Zealanders who intend to do business with Iran, which comes into effect on February 1, 2026.

FILE PHOTO: New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters attends a press conference, following his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in Beijing, China February 26, 2025. 

Europe

Middle East

Reimposing sanctions on Iran due to concerns about Iran's non-compliance with its nuclear obligations, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement on Friday.

New Zealand reimposes sanctions on Iran over nuclear non-compliance

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Tazmin Brits struck her fifth century of the year to guide South Africa to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the Women&rsquo;s World Cup at Holkar Stadium on Monday. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first, but their innings got off to a disastrous start. Suzie Bates was dismissed for a golden duck by Marizanne Kapp on the very first ball of the match. Georgia Plimmer (31) and Meli Kerr (23) managed to steady the ship, adding 44 runs for the second wicket before Kerr fell. Plimmer then combined with Sophie Devine for a 57-run partnership. Devine, who had scored a century in New Zealand&rsquo;s opening match, scored 85 runs off 68 balls, including a half-century. She and Brooke Halliday (45) forged the best partnership of the innings, adding 86 runs together. However, the introduction of Nonkululeko Mlaba turned the tide. Mlaba took key wickets in her second spell, triggering a collapse as New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for just 44 runs, including two run-outs.&nbsp; Mlaba finished with figures of 4-40 from 10 overs, the best by a South African bowler against New Zealand in a World Cup. New Zealand was bowled out for 231 in 49.4 overs. South Africa&rsquo;s chase began with an early setback, losing Laura Wolvaardt for 14. However, Brits took charge, racing to 50 off 44 balls. She and Sune Luus then put together a record-breaking 159-run partnership for the second wicket, the highest in South African World Cup history and the second-highest in ODIs against New Zealand. Brits brought up her century with a knock of 101 from 89 balls, surpassing Australia&rsquo;s Meg Lanning to score seven ODI hundreds in the fewest innings. Luus, who played a patient knock, finished unbeaten on 83 off 114 balls, guiding South Africa to victory. Brits was dismissed in the 32nd over, and Kerr struck twice to reduce South Africa to 213-4. But Luus ensured there were no further hiccups, hitting the winning runs with 55 balls to spare. South Africa reached 234-4 in 40.5 overs to secure their first win and points of the tournament after their opening loss, when they were bowled out for just 69. The victory moved South Africa up to fifth place in the standings.

Scores her fifth century; Nonkululeko Mlaba takes 4-40; record 159-run partnership with Sune Luus secures South Africa’s first World Cup points.

Articles tagged with "New Zealand"