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Explained: The Kirti Azad controversy after India’s T20 World Cup triumph and how Team India responded
The cricketer-turned-politician sparked a row with a tweet, targetting Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav, coach Gautam Gambhir and ICC chairman Jay Shah
After India clinched the T20 World Cup 2026 title in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on March 8, adding the third title in their bag, celebrations began across the length and breadth of the country. But soon, the World Cup win got its share of controversy with one X post from 1983 World Cup winner and Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad.
Known for his strong opinions, the cricketer-turned-politician criticised an act involving Team India captain Surya Kumar Yadav, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and ICC chairman Jay Shah, right after the World Cup win, saying that they 'dragged' trophy to 'one religion's victory lap' .
What made Kirti Azad so unhappy with Team India?
After the team exited the Narendra Modi Stadium, Surya, Gambhir and Shah paid a visit to a nearby Hanuman Temple with the trophy, and this act did go down well with Azad, who took to X and wrote that the trophy does not just belong to one religion but to 1.4 billion people.
He said that, like in 1983, this T20 World Cup-winning squad also has a Muslim and a Christian cricketer, and added that if the trophy was taken to a temple, it should have been taken to a mosque and a church as well.
Azad's post on X read: "This Team Represents INDIA — not Surya Kumar Yadav's or Jay Shah's Family ! Siraj never paraded it at a Mosque. Sanju never took it to a Church. latter had a major part to play and was man of the tournament. The Trophy Belongs to 1.4 BILLION Indians of EVERY Faith — NOT ONE RELIGION'S VICTORY LAP!"
The post went viral instantly, inviting several reactions. Some people on X posted that India's 2011 World Cup trophy was also taken to Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai, as well as the 2024 T20 World Cup trophy, while some also criticised the move.
How Gambhir, Ishan, and Harbhajan responded to the remark
One of India's top run-getters in the tournament, Ishan Kishan, was the first to react to the critical statement made by Azad. Upon reaching his home city, Patna, after the victory, Ishan was speaking to the press when one journalist informed him about Azad's post and sought his reaction on the same. Ignoring to react directly, Kishan said that when the country is celebrating the World Cup win, such questions should be avoided as they ruin the importance of such a huge achievement. “I have just won such a wonderful World Cup - please ask better questions. What can I say about what Kirti Azad said? Please ask some good questions. Tell me how it feels and how much fun it was,” Kishan said in his reply.
Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir, also known for his outspoken nature, did not hold himself back and said that there was no point picking such statements that degrade your own players and their hard work.
"....there’s no point picking up certain statements because they only dilute your achievements. If you want to dilute the efforts of those 15 players, then anyone will wake up and say anything tomorrow,” Gambhir told ANI news agency in a podcast.
“It is not fair on the boys. Imagine what the boys have gone through. The amount of pressure they have gone through. After losing the game against South Africa, the kind of pressure the boys are under, and if you’re passing such a statement, you are degrading your own player and your own team. It should not be done," Gambhir added.
Former India player and 2011 World Cup winner Harbhajan Singh also reacted strongly to Azad's statement, saying that it is absurd to see that the TMC politician is playing politics at a time when the country has won a World Cup. Harbhajan said that there is nothing wrong in players going to visit a temple to thank the Almighty after their wish was fulfilled.
“It is unfortunate to hear these things from fellow cricketers. Maybe they are prefer politics over the sport. It is even more unfortunate that he is a sportsman. The country has won a World Cup. Be happy, celebrate, but you are busy doing politics. We say in our faith that all religions are the same. There may be different Gods, but the path is the same. If they went to a temple, a mosque or a church, it is the same. It is their faith, and you should not be questioning it," added Harbhajan.
