1. Sanju Samson — 89 off 46 balls vs New Zealand (2026)
The highest individual score in T20 World Cup Final history.
When Sanju Samson walked out to bat in the 2026 T20 World Cup Final at Narendra Modi Stadium, he carried the weight of 130,000 fans and a nation’s expectations. What followed was the greatest individual batting performance ever seen in a T20 World Cup Final.
Innings breakdown:
- 89 runs off 46 balls | Strike rate: 193.47
- 5 fours and 8 sixes
- Opening partnership of 98 with Abhishek Sharma
- Third consecutive score of 80+ in the knockout stages
Samson combined power with precision — taking singles when required, accelerating through the middle overs, and finishing with a total that put the match beyond all doubt. India posted 255/5 and won by 96 runs. Samson was named Player of the Tournament — and his 89 broke the previous final record of 85* held jointly by Kane Williamson and Marlon Samuels.
2. Kane Williamson — 85* off 48 balls vs Australia (2021)
The innings that almost won New Zealand the title.
The 2021 T20 World Cup Final in Dubai produced two of the great final performances — from both sides. Kane Williamson’s 85* is the highest score ever made in a losing T20 World Cup Final cause and remains one of the great captain’s innings in World Cup history.
Innings breakdown:
- 85 not out off 48 balls | Strike rate: 177.08
- 3 fours and 10 sixes
- Kept New Zealand in the contest single-handedly as wickets fell
Williamson walked in early and never let go of the run chase. He finished unbeaten — but on the losing side as Australia won by 8 wickets with a ball to spare. A brilliant 85* that simply wasn’t quite enough.
3. Marlon Samuels — 85* off 66 balls vs England (2016)
The match-winner that set up Brathwaite’s miracle.
The 2016 T20 World Cup Final in Kolkata is remembered for Carlos Brathwaite’s four sixes off Ben Stokes. But without Marlon Samuels, West Indies would never have been close enough to need them.
Innings breakdown:
- 85 not out off 66 balls | Strike rate: 128.78
- 5 fours and 5 sixes
- Rebuilt the innings from a struggling 11/2
Samuels walked in with West Indies in trouble and constructed one of the most composed World Cup Final innings in history. He absorbed pressure, accelerated at the right moments, and set the platform for Brathwaite’s iconic finale. He was the architect of the entire chase — from near-collapse to World Cup champions.
4. Marlon Samuels — 78 off 56 balls vs Sri Lanka (2012)
The only player to score 75+ in two T20 World Cup Finals.
Marlon Samuels holds a unique record — he is the only player in history to appear twice in this list. Four years before his heroics against England, Samuels anchored West Indies to the 2012 title against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
Innings breakdown:
- 78 runs off 56 balls | Strike rate: 139.28
- 4 fours and 7 sixes
- West Indies won by 36 runs
His 78 powered West Indies to 137/6 — enough on a tricky Colombo surface. Two finals. Two match-winning innings. A record that may never be matched.
5. Mitchell Marsh — 77* off 50 balls vs New Zealand (2021)
The innings that sealed Australia’s first T20 World Cup title.
Australia had never won a T20 World Cup before 2021. Mitchell Marsh made sure they won it emphatically — coming in at number three and producing an unbeaten 77 that sealed the chase with eight balls to spare.
Innings breakdown:
- 77 not out off 50 balls | Strike rate: 154.00
- 6 fours and 4 sixes
- Unbroken partnership of 92 with David Warner (53)
Marsh came in after an early wicket and never looked troubled. His partnership with Warner dismantled New Zealand’s bowling attack and gave Australia an 8-wicket win. Marsh was named Player of the Match.
6. Virat Kohli — 77 off 58 balls vs Sri Lanka (2014)
The innings that wasn’t enough — but announced a generation.
Virat Kohli’s 77 in the 2014 T20 World Cup Final in Dhaka is one of the most bittersweet innings in Indian cricket history. India were chasing 134 — a very gettable target — but finished on the wrong side of the result, losing by 6 wickets.
Innings breakdown:
- 77 runs off 58 balls | Strike rate: 132.75
- 8 fours and 2 sixes
- India fell short — Sri Lanka won the title
Kohli’s 77 took India agonisingly close — almost matching the target single-handedly — but Sri Lanka held their nerve. It remains one of the defining what-if innings in Indian T20 World Cup history.
7. Virat Kohli — 76 off 59 balls vs South Africa (2024)
The farewell innings on the grandest stage.
The 2024 T20 World Cup Final in Barbados was Virat Kohli’s last international T20 appearance — and he made it count. After a difficult tournament with the bat leading into the final, Kohli produced a trademark 76 that anchored India’s total and set up their title win over South Africa.
Innings breakdown:
- 76 runs off 59 balls | Strike rate: 128.81
- 6 fours and 2 sixes
- India won the title on the back of his knock
It was a measured, classical Kohli innings when his team needed it most. When he walked off the Barbados pitch for the last time in T20 internationals, Kohli had contributed to two T20 World Cup titles — and earned a place on this list twice. He is the only batter to feature in two different T20 World Cup Final top-score lists across different decades.
8. Gautam Gambhir — 75 off 54 balls vs Pakistan (2007)
The innings that started it all.
Before Samson. Before Samuels. Before Kohli. There was Gautam Gambhir in Johannesburg. The very first T20 World Cup Final in 2007 between India and Pakistan is one of cricket’s great occasions — and Gambhir’s 75 was the foundation of everything that followed.
Innings breakdown:
- 75 runs off 54 balls | Strike rate: 138.88
- 8 fours and 2 sixes
- India won by 5 runs in a nail-biting finale
India posted 157/5 — enough to edge Pakistan in one of cricket’s most tense finishes. Without Gambhir, there may have been no trophy for MS Dhoni to lift that day — and the tradition of Indian T20 World Cup success may never have begun.
9. Ishan Kishan — 54 off 25 balls vs New Zealand (2026)
The explosive support act in the highest-scoring final ever.
The 2026 final’s dominance came from a collective batting assault — and Ishan Kishan’s 54 was a crucial part of it.
Innings breakdown:
- 54 runs off 25 balls | Strike rate: 216.00
- 5 fours and 4 sixes
Kishan kept the pressure relentless even after Abhishek Sharma’s dismissal, taking India past 200 in the 15th over. His strike rate of 216 is among the highest ever recorded in a T20 World Cup Final innings.
10Abhishek Sharma — 52 off 21 balls vs New Zealand (2026)
The fastest fifty in T20 World Cup knockout history.
Abhishek Sharma’s 52 was the powerplay assault that turned the 2026 final into a one-sided contest before the match had fully begun.
Innings breakdown:
- 52 runs off 21 balls | Strike rate: 247.61
- 6 fours and 3 sixes
- Fifty reached off just 18 balls — fastest in T20 WC knockout history
The opening partnership of 92/0 in the powerplay between Abhishek and Samson is the joint-highest powerplay score in T20 World Cup history. By the time Rachin Ravindra dismissed him in the eighth over, India were already beyond New Zealand’s reach.
