Who is behind coach Gautam Gambhir's success? Winning the World Cup repaid his debt; he gave full credit to these two people.

March 8, 2026, has been etched in the golden pages of Indian cricket history. The Indian team won the T20 World Cup 2026 by defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final. This marked the first time a team had won the T20 World Cup trophy for the third time.

Team India also became the first team to win the title in two consecutive editions. While India suffered a crushing defeat on November 19, 2023, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Team India, under Surya's captaincy, settled the score by winning the title on March 8.

Coach Gautam Gambhir was overjoyed after winning the title. He praised the players profusely in the post-match press conference. He also gave full credit to two people for the victory.

Gautam Gambhir gave credit to two people for the victory.

In fact, during the press conference, Coach Gambhir said,

I want to dedicate this trophy to Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. Rahul bhai brought the Indian team to a strong position, and Laxman created an excellent pipeline of players through the 'Centre of Excellence'. - Gautam Gambhir

When Jay Shah held my hand during difficult times

Gautam Gambhir also expressed his gratitude to chief selector Ajit Agarkar and ICC chairman Jay Shah. In an emotional revelation, he said,

When I was going through the worst phase of my tenure (after losing the home Test series against New Zealand and South Africa in 2024 and 2025), Jay bhai called me and supported me. - Gautam Gambhir

Heartfelt praise for the players

Indian team head coach Gambhir completely dismissed the criticism on social media. He said, "My accountability is not to the people on social media, but to the 30 people sitting in that dressing room. A coach is only as good as his team. The players have made me the coach I am today."

What did the coach say about captain Surya?

Gambhir said about captain Surya:

Suryakumar has made my job easier. He is a captain who is like a father. The ultimate goal is to win trophies, not celebrate individual achievements. For many years, we have been celebrating individual achievements. I urge you to stop celebrating individual achievements. - Gautam Gambhir

India won the T20 World Cup for the third time.

In 2007, when the first edition of the T20 World Cup was played, Team India, under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, created history by winning the title. Then, 17 years later, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, India won the 2024 T20 World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav became the third captain after Rohit Sharma to lead Team India to this title.