Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, the scene of India's misery in the global 50-over final against Australia just two-and-a-half years ago, this time became a national pleasure palace as the favourites, lifted by Sanju Samson's brutal batting and Jasprit Bumrah's matchless bowling, fashioned a 96-run victory on Sunday.
It ensured Suryakumar Yadav's powerhouse team became the first to successfully defend the global T20 crown in the tournament's short history.
"It feels extremely special because I've played one final in my home venue and couldn't win that one, but today I won," beamed Bumrah, whose 4-15 on a flat, run-laden pitch again demonstrated why he's the best in the business.
"Getting the man-of-the-match award on my home ground in a World Cup final ... it doesn't get better than that."
Put in to bat in front of more than 100,000 of their adoring home fans, India didn't put a foot wrong this time, amassing the third-highest total in the tournament's history with their 5-255 that featured a third successive near-miss for a century from the inspired Samson, who hit eight sixes in his 89 off 46 balls.
With Abhishek Sharma racing to the quickest 50 in the tournament off 18 balls and Ishan Kishan also rattling on to a half-century off 23, India would have been looking at an even more stratospheric total had it not been for Jimmy Neesham's (3-26) three-wicket over that applied the brakes near the end.
Any hope for New Zealand, who'd lost their previous three World Cup finals - one in T20 and two in the 50-over game -- over the past 11 years, was then extinguished by Bumrah's middle-order destruction and spinner Axar Patel's 3-27 as the Black Caps crumbled to 159 in 19 overs.
The victory led to ecstatic scenes as the hosts also celebrated becoming the first team to win three T20 crowns, once again underlining why they remain in a league of their own in the shortest form of the international game.
At the heart of their success lay the fabulous comeback of Samson, who's finished the tournament with three crucial knocks of 97no, 89 and 89 to beat the West Indies, England and, finally, New Zealand in three knockout matches in a week.
He thanked the great Sachin Tendulkar for helping him rediscover his confidence after he'd been dropped before the tournament.
"For the last couple of months, I have been in constant contact with Sachin, sir. I reached out to him and had big, big conversations with him," said Samson.Â
"Getting a guidance from someone like him, what more can you ask for? I am very grateful."
When New Zealand chased, Patel grabbed the key wicket of the Perth Scorchers' Finn Allen, who'd scored the fastest ever World Cup ton in the semi-final, for just nine, and with his first ball Bumrah deceived Rachin Ravindra with his slower one and had him caught sensationally in the deep by a diving Kishan.
Tim Seifert looked the Kiwis' only hope but when he fell, miscuing off Varun Chakravarthy to fall for 52 off 26 balls, it already looked like curtains before Bumrah clean bowled Neesham, Matt Henry and Santner, who hit a defiant 43 off 35 balls.
"I knew wicket was a flat one so had to use all my experience," said Bumrah.
"Before this tournament, I was bowling well but felt I was trying too hard. This tournament I just tried to let the game come to me -- and that worked really well."
