India’s successful defence of the 2026 T20 World Cup, sealed with a 34-run victory over New Zealand in Ahmedabad, drew an immediate and heartfelt dedication from head coach Gautam Gambhir. The former opener, now nine months into the job, placed the silverware squarely at the feet of those who came before him.
“I think first of all I should dedicate this trophy to Rahul [Dravid] bhai, and then to VVS Laxman [bhai],” Gambhir said after India beat New Zealand in Ahmedabad for their T20 title. “Because what Rahul bhai has done to keep Indian cricket in such a good shape during his tenure, I have to thank him for everything. And then VVS Laxman for unconditionally doing so much for Indian cricket behind the doors, because the CoE remains the pipeline for Indian cricket. And third is obviously Ajit Agarkar, because he does take a lot of flak, but the amount of honesty he has worked with…”
He went on: And last but not least, I have to thank Jay [Shah] bhai, because not many people have actually called me when I went through the lowest moments in my tenure, whether it was after New Zealand, whether it was after South Africa, the only person who called me actually was Jay bhai. And I have to thank him for trusting me with this job, because I very well remember this, that when I was given this job, I had no experience of being the head coach of any franchise or any team, but trusting me with this job, so I have to thank these guys. And I think till these guys are there, I think Indian cricket is in very, very safe hands.
Those remarks framed a dressing-room that has, by common consent, found an extra gear under Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav. India piled up 257 in the semi-final against Australia and 263 in the final, batting with a freedom rarely associated with major events.
“First of all, it’s the players who have made me win. And I’ve been saying for a long time that you are as good a coach or captain as your players are… If you make more than 250 runs in the semi-final and final, it just shows the quality and bravery and courage with which this tournament was played.”
Numbers back him up. Across the tournament India’s run-rate never dipped below 11 an over, even on slower surfaces in Guyana and Chennai. Former captain Anil Kumble called the approach “refreshing”, while ex-South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis said it reminded him of England’s white-ball surge in 2019.
Gambhir’s mantra has been simple:
“The most important thing in the T20 format is that we didn’t want to be afraid of losing… We didn’t want to play 160-170 cricket. I think for too long we played 160-170 cricket.
“We lost to South Africa by 100 [76] runs. But that ideology never changed. That mindset never changed. We never thought that we should play a little subdued. Obviously, if the captain and the coach are not”
The sentence trailed off, but the point was clear: fear of failure, he feels, has finally been driven out of India’s T20 set-up. Whether that philosophy endures will be tested soon enough; a home three-match series against Pakistan is only a fortnight away. For now, Gambhir’s squad, and the men he thanked, can savour a trophy that required a shift in both tempo and mindset.
