Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill can't keep calm as India reach top of the world by defending T20 World Cup title

Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill took to social media to congratulate Suryakumar Yadav and the rest of the Indian team for winning the T20 World Cup.

Updated on: Mar 8, 2026, 23:22:51 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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World domination is complete. Suryakumar Yadav's India annihilated New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, winning the tournament for the third time. The Men in Blue became the first team to win the competition on home soil and also defend the title. The summit clash turned into a no-contest as India dominated the Black Caps and emerged triumphant by 96 runs. Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan hit half-centuries as India posted more than 250 runs on the board. Jasprit Bumrah then returned with four wickets as the Kiwis were bundled out for 159 in 19 overs.

India's players celebrate after winning the T20 World Cup. (AP)

Post India's dominant win, Virat Kohli took to social media to congratulate the entire winning contingent, saying the entire team showed great character to come out on top. He also lauded the entire team and the support staff.

Also Read: India win 3rd T20 World Cup, create history after Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah lead demolition job against New Zealand

“Champions. Phenomenal win for Team India in Ahmedabad. Absolutely no match for the explosive cricket played by us throughout the tournament. Brilliant character shown by the boys to keep fighting in tough situations and become world champions once again. Congratulations to all the players and all the members of the management for achieving this feat. Jai Hind,” Kohli wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Shubman Gill, the India Test and ODI captain, also took to Instagram Stories to congratulate the team, saying the side has made the nation proud.

“So proud of our team. Winning a World Cup for India is the dream, and you've made the entire nation proud. Congratulations, boys,” Shubman Gill wrote on Instagram Stories.

How the match panned out

The T20 World Cup 2026 final saw New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner winning the toss and opting to bowl first. The hosts made the Black Caps rue this decision as the defending champions hammered 255/5 in 20 overs, owing to Samson (89), Abhishek (52), and Kishan (54).

James Neesham turned the complexion of the innings after he took three wickets in an over, dismissing Samson, Kishan and Suryakumar in the same over. However, Shivam Dube stepped up in the end, playing a valuable cameo of 26 runs off 8 balls, taking India's score past the 250-run mark.

New Zealand were never in the chase as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Jasprit Bumrah returned with four wickets while Axar Patel took three, and in the end, the Kiwis were bundled out for 159.

The summit clash was also attended by ICC chairman Jay Shah, former India captains Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. In the end, the day turned out to be truly special for the hosts.

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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