Team India won the T20 World Cup 2026 by defeating New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8. Following the spectacular victory, several former cricketers and experts lauded the hosts for their record-breaking championship triumph.
India posted a mammoth total of 255 runs, following Sanju Samson's explosive 89. Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan also slammed crucial half-centuries. In response, New Zealand were bowled out for just 159 runs. Jasprit Bumrah finished with four wickets for 15 runs.
Sunil Gavaskar Calls it the Best Moment in Indian Cricket
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar called the title defense a massive achievement for the dominant side. The legendary batter emphasized that winning back-to-back ICC trophies requires pure skill and labeled the victory as the greatest moment in Indian cricket.
“India's trophy cabinet is quite full now. Winning ICC trophies is not easy. Bilateral dominance is different. ICC tournaments have zero margin for error. You must bring your best every game. It takes skill, not luck."
"The pressure is huge, and these players represent over a billion people when they step on the field. No team has won back-to-back T20 World Cups, and defending a title is tough. Opposition teams come well prepared. Winning the T20 World Cup back-to-back is a massive achievement. This is the best moment in Indian cricket history.”
Kris Srikkanth Praises Ajit Agarkar and the Selection Committee
Former opener Kris Srikkanth heaped praise on the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee for building a fearless squad. The 1983 World Cup winner credited the management for backing Ishan Kishan. He also stated that batting depth allowed the hosts to dominate the T20 format.
“Agarkar and team selection committee, well done, guys. They picked a superb team. Two years back, no one knew where Ishan Kishan was. But he performed in domestic and came in and was the actual game changer. Apart from Abhishek and Sanju giving a rollicking start, his 54 ensured that they kept the momentum, and New Zealand were out of the game. His knock was very crucial; it took the match away."
"It was a fantastic team effort. Everybody contributed. It was a superb move to bowl Axar Patel at the top. He picked two crucial wickets in the powerplay. This Indian side is one of the strongest T20 World Cup sides I have ever seen. Imagine a 96-run victory in a final?"
"What should I say? too good. They are just dominating T20 cricket. I have never seen this balance and these many dangerous batters. We are at a different level in T20 cricket. I have not seen such batting power. Everybody is a big six hitter from one to seven.”
R Ashwin Credits Gautam Gambhir for His Tactical T20 Mindset
Legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin lauded head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Suryakumar Yadav for their ruthless approach. The bowler backed the coach's flexible batting order approach.
“We have to give a lot of credit to Surya. I love Gautam Gambhir, the T20 coach. I love his way of looking at the game. Many people are always ready to criticise him, but he gets the T20 game. His first statement was there was no need for a batting order in white-ball cricket."
"Maybe that was taken far out of context. In T20 cricket, you do not need a batting order, and he is right. He gets the pulse of the T20 game. It is no mean achievement. This is not a win; this is a statement. I am so happy for this entire Indian team. The way India showed their strength, New Zealand panicked under that pressure and forgot all tactics. Their execution was poor.”