After winning the T20 World Cup, Abhishek Sharma says of his turbulent season, "I was doubting myself, got emotional."

In the T20 World Cup 2026 final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs thanks to a dominant performance. India became the first host country to win the tournament and was guaranteed to keep the title.

A devastating batting performance laid the groundwork for the victory. India gained quick momentum thanks to Abhishek Sharma's early fireworks, which included a 52 from just 21 balls. After he left, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson took control and put New Zealand firmly on the defensive with a 105-run partnership. Kishan scored 54 from 25 deliveries, while Samson led the charge with 89 off 46 balls, breaking the record for the most runs by an Indian in a single T20 World Cup edition. In the end, India amassed 255 runs, the most in a T20 World Cup final ever.

Finn Allen and Tim Seifert led New Zealand's aggressive chase, but India's bowlers swiftly turned the tide. Glenn Phillips and Allen were removed by Axar Patel, and Rachin Ravindra was fired. Before Varun Chakravarthy put an end to his resistance, Seifert scored a valiant half-century. Later, Bumrah secured a historic victory by taking four wickets.

After the game, Abhishek told the broadcasters that although the tournament wasn't easy for him, he was motivated by the team management's constant support. After going through a difficult period, the Punjab batter said he became emotional, but the confidence the team management gave him allowed him to keep up and ultimately give a crucial performance in the championship game.

"The captain and the coach believed in me." It wasn't an easy tournament for me, so even I was having self-doubt. This is something I have never encountered before. Even so, everyone was so excited about me during the first World Cup that they thought I would win one major match. I was just going through my own process, but as a young player who had only played for the Indian team for one or two years, it wasn't easy. I simply adore the team and how they handled me back then. After the game, Abhishek remarked, "I have never felt it before."

“Throughout the entire year, you have performed admirably for the team, particularly during significant events; however, I failed to meet the expectations and trust placed in me by the players, coach, and support staff. I got upset in the middle. I really wanted to win all the games, but then I wanted to talk to the coach and captain. "They came to talk to me and say only one thing: 'You will win us big games,'" Abhishek said.