'Bumrah is a once-in-a-generation bowler’

India captain Suryakumar Yadav heaped praise on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah after India’s historic 96-run victory over New Zealand in the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup yesterday.

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Suryakumar lauded Bumrah’s impact and composure on the big stage. “Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are top players and we knew they would do something special, and they did it in the final,” he said. “Bumrah is a once-in-a-generation bowler. I can call him a national treasure. He knows exactly what needs to be done and he is the best in the business.”

Suryakumar also credited the team’s consistency over the past two years. “We have been playing good cricket in the last two years and we just wanted to follow the good habits we built during the 2024 World Cup. The boys responded brilliantly. It’s really important to understand what players are capable of, and I always believed they had match-winning abilities. The timing was perfect.”

India’s triumph also helped erase the painful memories of the 2023 ODI World Cup final loss at the same venue. The team capped off a dominant campaign, losing just one match across the last two T20 World Cups.

India’s powerful batting lineup overwhelmed New Zealand, posting 255-5 -- the highest total ever in a T20 World Cup final. In reply, the Black Caps were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs.

The win made India the first team to successfully defend a T20 World Cup title, the first to win the tournament on home soil, and the first to claim three T20 World Cup trophies.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner admitted his side was second best.

“Today we were outplayed by a great team in front of a fantastic crowd. Playing a home World Cup brings pressure, but Suryakumar and his team should be very proud. We fought hard in the Super Eight and the semi-final, but tonight India were simply better,” he said.