Sanju Samson slams highest individual score in T20 World Cup final, breaks Marlon Samuels’ record

2 min readUpdated: Mar 8, 2026 09:41 PM Indian opener Sanju Samson broke West Indies’ Marlon Samuels record regering the highest individual score any player in a T20 World Cup final during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup summit clash against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Samson also bettered compatriot Virat Kohli’s 77, which came in a losing cause against Sri Lanka in the 2014 T20 World Cup final.
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Samson also became only the third batter after Kohli and Pakan’s Shahid Afridi to score a fifty in a semifinal and a final of a T20 World Cup.
Samson was dismissed for 89 James Neesham as he ended his campaign with 321 runs, breaking Kohli’s another record to score the most runs in a single edition of a T20 World Cup.
Earlier, Abhishek Sharma shed his poor form and stepped up right on time slamming a half-century in just 18 deliveries. Abhishek’s 50 off 18 balls is the fastest of this World Cup, bettering 19-ball fifties from Aiden Markram, Jacob Bethell and Shimrom Hetmyer. It is also the fastest fifty in a T20 World Cup knockout game.
India recorded 255/5 in 20 overs, the highest ever total a team in a T20 World Cup final. This is also India’s second-highest total in the T20 World Cup, only second best to 256 scored against Zimbabwe.Story continues below this ad
Highest score a player in the T20 World Cup final

Player
Runs
SR
Opposition
Ground
Date

Sanju Samson
89
193.48
v New Zealand
Ahmedabad
8 Mar 2026

Marlon Samuels (WI)
85*
128.78
v England
Eden Gardens
3 Apr 2016

KS Williamson (NZ)
85
177.08
v Australia
Dubai (DICS)
14 Nov 2021

Marlon Samuels (WI)
78
139.28
v Sri Lanka
Colombo (RPS)
7 Oct 2012

MR Marsh (AUS)
77*
154
v New Zealand
Dubai (DICS)
14 Nov 2021

Virat Kohli (IND)
77
132.75
v Sri Lanka
Mirpur
6 Apr 2014

Virat Kohli (IND)
76
128.81
v South Africa
Bridgetown
29 Jun 2024

Gautam Gambhir (IND)
75
138.88
v Pakan
Johannesburg
24 Sep 2007

Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
64*
123.07
v Pakan
Lord’s
21 Jun 2009

Craig Kieswetter (ENG)
63
128.57
v Australia
Bridgetown
16 May 2010