India’s T20 World Cup wins don’t come remotely close to 1983, 2011 wins under Kapil, Dhoni: Manjrekar cooks up a storm

Sanjay Manjrekar refused to place any of the three T20 World Cup victories in the same breath as the ICC 50-over tournaments.

Published on: Mar 11, 2026, 06:44:29 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Suryakumar Yadav, last Sunday, did not just take India to a historic T20 World Cup win in Ahmedabad. Besides the 96-run victory in the lopsided final against New Zealand, which made India the first team to win the title on back-to-back occasions and for an unprecedented third time in history, Suryakumar joined the legion of Indian captains who have taken the national team to World Cup glory. Kapil Dev in 1983, MS Dhoni in 2007 and 2011, Rohit Sharma in 2024, and now Suryakumar in 2026.

India won the 2026 T20 World Cup title last Sunday in Ahmedabad

However, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar refused to place any of the three T20 World Cup victories in the same breath as the ICC 50-over tournaments.

ALSO READ: ‘Dig at Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma’: Gambhir’s blunt take on personal milestones stirs debate after India’s World Cup win

In a social media post that came a day after India beat the Black Caps to cap off a remarkable journey at home, Manjrekar reckoned that the 1983 and 2011 wins will always hold greater value than the T20 World Cup victories.

"In time we need to put these world titles given out every year in proper perspective. India’s T20 WC wins don’t come remotely close to their 50 overs WC wins of 1983 under Kapil Dev & 2011 under Dhoni in terms of its pure challenge & its sanctity," he posted.

How India won the T20 World Cup 2026

India survived a near-shock against the USA in their opener before scripting an unbeaten run through the group stage, including a win against arch-rivals Pakistan. However, they were jolted by a massive defeat against South Africa in their first game of the Super 8, which not only pushed them to the brink but also forced the team management to go back to the drawing board and reconsider their plans.

Sanju Samson, who was dropped from the playing XI after a poor home series against New Zealand in January, emerged as India’s saviour to counter the off-spin frailty that troubled the batting line-up. Coming off the bench midway through the tournament, he smashed three consecutive half-centuries to become the team’s leading run-getter and win the Player of the Tournament award.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

Get live cricket scores, match updates, schedules, results and ICC rankings. Follow the latest news, statistics and performances of top teams and players on Hindustan Times.