Gautam Gambhir reacts after MS Dhoni tells him, ‘smile looks great on you’ post T20 World Cup triumph

India head coach Gautam Gambhir responded to MS Dhoni's T20 World Cup win congratulatory post.

Updated on: Mar 9, 2026, 18:24:09 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Monday said it was “great to see” MS Dhoni at the T20 World Cup 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Men in Blue won the tournament for the third time after defeating New Zealand by 96 runs on Sunday to become the first team in the history of the sport to defend the T20 World Cup title and also win the tournament on home soil. The grand finale was a star-studded affair, attended by World Cup-winning captains Kapil Dev, Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma.

Gambhir responded to Dhoni's viral Instagram post. (X )

Post India's emphatic win in Ahmedabad, the former India wicketkeeper-batter Dhoni took to Instagram to congratulate the team for winning the tournament. It was then that he advised Gambhir to smile more, as it looks great on his face, saying, “Intensity with a smile is a killer combo."

Also Read: ‘Coach sahab…’: MS Dhoni’s priceless message for Gautam Gambhir could be bigger than India’s T20 World Cup win

“Coach Sahab smile looks great on you, intensity with smile is a killer combo,” part of the Dhoni's caption read.

On Monday afternoon, Gambhir took to the comments section, saying the World Cup win is a solid reason to smile, and also added that it was great seeing Dhoni.

“And what a reason to smile. Great seeing you,” Gambhir wrote in the comment section.

Speaking of Gambhir and Dhoni, the duo were involved in several memorable partnerships back in the day, most notably the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka. The relationship between the two has always been a talking point ever since Gambhir famously spoke against worshipping certain individuals within the team. However, whenever the two have been seen in public, they have remained cordial, exchanging a laugh or two.

Rohit and Dhoni present trophy

Rohit Sharma and Dhoni presented the T20 World Cup 2026 trophy before the summit clash began at the Ahmedabad venue. The duo walked out to the middle carrying the silverware, and ICC chairman Jay Shah accompanied them.

Once the final wicket of the match fell, both Rohit and Dhoni were seen cheering the Men in Blue and celebrating the victory.

Speaking of the summit clash, India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs to win the tournament for the second time in a row. Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma hit half-centuries to help India post 255/5 in 20 overs.

Jasprit Bumrah then returned with four wickets to help India bundle New Zealand out for 159, winning the contest by more than 90 runs. Bumrah was adjudged as Player of the Match while Samson was declared as the Player of the Tournament.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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