India’s opening batter and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson equaled a 17 year old record held by former Pakistan star Shahid Afridi during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final.

Playing at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium, India posted a massive target of 256 runs against New Zealand national cricket team, the highest total ever set in a men’s T20 World Cup final. The impressive score was largely driven by Samson’s explosive innings.

Samson smashed 89 runs from just 46 balls, hitting eight sixes and five fours. His powerful batting gave India strong momentum and put New Zealand under significant pressure in the championship match.

The half-century was Samson’s third consecutive fifty in the tournament. Earlier in the competition, he scored crucial half-centuries against the West Indies cricket team during the Super 8 stage and against the England cricket team in the semifinal.

With his latest performance, Samson became only the third player in T20 World Cup history to score half centuries in both the semifinal and final, joining Afridi and Virat Kohli.

His 89 runs also set a new record for the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final, surpassing the previous 85-run records held by Marlon Samuels and Kane Williamson.