India won their third overall and second consecutive ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title with a dominating 96-run victory over New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Sunil Gavaskar and Piyush Chawla weighed in on India’s performance, the rise of Sanju Samson, and Jasprit Bumrah’s sublime spell. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya paid tribute to the personal support that fuelled his redemption. Earlier, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni also congratulated Indian team. Sunil Gavaskar explained the difficulty of winning consecutive World Cups and India’s historic win in Ahmedabad:
“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. Oppositions teams come well prepared. The Associate teams impressed in this edition of the T20 World Cup and created problems for the big teams. South Africa and New Zealand were ready. Australia didn’t even qualify for the Super 8. Winning the T20 World Cup back-to-back is a massive achievement. This is the best moment in Indian cricket history.” On the rise of Sanju Samson:
“Life has come full circle for Sanju Samson. Before the 2026 T20 World Cup, he had a terrible series against New Zealand. He was dropped, then after the T20 World Cup started, he got a chance to play against Namibia, but his knock wasn’t enough to keep his spot. He next played directly against Zimbabwe in the Super 8, but his real redemption began against West Indies in a virtual quarter-final. He played a flamboyant innings and looked in complete control. We know how skilled Sanju is. But to perform in a virtual quarter-final, in the semi-final against England and then in the all-important final against New Zealand is not easy. These games decide your fate and will define his career. Playing clutch knocks in high-pressure games takes something special. Credit to Sanju and the support staff for the right decisions. To have the scar of failure and then play the best knocks of your career in three back-to-back high-pressure games, that is Sanju Samson.” Piyush Chawla lavished praise on Jasprit Bumrah:
“Jasprit Bumrah is rightfully a national treasure. This man can make the best batsman of any opposition have a bad day. He has done that throughout this 2026 T20 World Cup. The way he has bowled in this tournament is nothing short of remarkable. He is the biggest asset of Team India. Whenever India needs a wicket in a crucial phase, Bumrah steps up and comes to the rescue. We have seen that more often than not, in tough situations, the Captain looks to Bumrah. He knows he is one of the best. He has so many variations and weapons. But knowing when to use which weapon is very difficult to master. On this pitch in the final, where the ball was coming nicely onto the bat, Bumrah got all his four wickets using slower deliveries. Other bowlers were giving pace and going for runs. But when Bumrah bowled, right from the first over, his first wicket came with a slower ball. That comes with experience.” India all-rounder Hardik Pandya reflected on his journey from facing difficulties in life in to lifting back-to-back T20 World Cup trophies:
“When we won the T20 World Cup in 2024, I was facing a lot of difficulties personally. Many things had happened before that tournament and things were not going my way. Before the 2024 World Cup started, I had made up my mind that I was going for redemption. I wanted to make a dominating comeback. I did that and helped my team win the trophy after 17 years. Coming to this T20 World Cup victory in Ahmedabad, this is something I have always lived for. I play cricket to do well for my country and win trophies. I want to win all the trophies for India. After the win in Barbados, I promised myself that whichever tournament I play, I will play to win and I will lift the trophy. This win against New Zealand in Ahmedabad is a validation that the promise I made to myself has become a reality. And this is just the start.” On how his close ones changed his perspective on life:
“A lot of hard work goes into winning World Cups for your country. But for me, no matter the result in life, I only know how to work hard and bounce back. A person becomes successful because of the efforts you put in. But it is not possible to do it alone. You need good people around you. I want to thank all the people who stood by me in hard times. Without their support, I would not be the person I am today. The reason you see Hardik Pandya do well is because my close ones take care of me so much. Since Mahieka has come into my life, it has been all about winning and doing well. The main focus has been on how Hardik Pandya can move forward. So, a special mention to Mahieka and to my close ones. Without them, I would not be here.”
