India scored 279 for four in 47.3 overs to overhaul New Zealand’s 278 for nine after the Kiwis had won the toss and elected to bat.
Kaif came to the crease when captain Saurav Ganguly (19) holed out to fine leg off paceman Kyle Mills to end a blistering opening stand of 66 off 44 balls with Virender Sehwag.
The 24-year-old Kaif compiled an undefeated 102 off 118 deliveries as India gained a psychological edge heading into Tuesday’s final against the Kiwis.
Kaif struck 11 fours, mostly sweetly-timed drives down the ground.
Sehwag hit 45 off 34 balls with six boundaries while Rahul Dravid added a composed 39 as he and Kaif shared a match-winning, third-wicket stand of 101.
Wicket-keeper MS Dhoni put the finishing touches to the win with three fours and two sixes as he finished 37 not out.
New Zealand also got their innings off to a rapid start, skipper Stephen Fleming scoring 47 off 53 balls and Lou Vincent hammering 37 from 23 deliveries.
After Fleming and Vincent were run out, Scott Styris marshalled the lower order with 56 and Craig McMillan chipped in with 40.
SCOREBOARD
New Zealand
S. Fleming run out 47
N. Astle c Dhoni b Agarkar 11
L. Vincent run out 37
H. Marshall b Yadav, JP 8
S. Styris c Sehwag b Nehra 56
C. McMillan b Agarkar 40
B. McCullum c Kaif b Nehra 28
J. Oram c Ganguly b Pathan 14
C. Cairns not out 6
A. Adams c Agarkar b Pathan 3
K. Mills not out 2
Extras (b-1 lb-11 nb-1 w-13) 26
Total (for 9 wickets, 50 overs) 278
Fall of wkts: 1-54 2-83 3-103 4-115 5-202 6-244 7-266 8-267 9-271
Bowling: Nehra 10-0-57-2 (w-3); Pathan 9-0-60-2 (w-3); Agarkar 10-1-61-2 (nb-1 w-4); Yadav, JP 10-1-34-1 (w-2); H. Singh 10-0-46-0 (w-1); Ganguly 1-0-8-0
India
V. Sehwag b Oram 45
S. Ganguly c Patel b Mills 19
M. Kaif not out 102
R. Dravid b Styris 39
Y. Singh lbw b Patel 22
M. Dhoni not out 37
Extras (lb-7 nb-2 w-6) 15
Total (for 4 wickets, 47.3 overs) 279
Fall of wkts: 1-66 2-75 3-176 4-223
Did not bat: J. Yadav, I. Pathan, A. Agarkar, A. Nehra, H. Singh
Bowling: Mills 7-0-35-1 (w-3); Adams 7.3-0-67-0 (nb-2 w-2); Oram 5-1-22-1; Cairns 3-0-17-0; Patel 9-0-60-1; Astle 7-0-34-0 (w-1); Styris 9-0-37-1.—Agencies