The team – and the team means not just the players, but the entirety of the support staff. A moment in the sun for Gautam Gambhir's coaching staff, as well as the dozens of men and women around the team who have been so crucial towards creating back-to-back champions.(PTI)
2/9
Sanju ‘Special’ Samson – a nickname he has earned this tournament. Forever the player who fans said deserved more, and now the plaudits will never stop. Player of the tournament, averaging 80 and striking at 200, leading India to the World Cup by stepping up when it mattered most.(AFP)
3/9
‘I only believe in Jassi bhai’ – true in 2024, true in 2026, and will be true for much longer. Jasprit Bumrah the star of the show with player of the match in the final, but Mohammed Siraj the heart and soul of the team, even from the sidelines.(PTI)
SKY's the limit. A T20I debutant at 30, a T20 World Cup winning captain at 35. For a team all about perseverance and coming back from the cold, captain Suryakumar Yadav is the leading man as a player who waited his turn, and ensured he took the perfect steps once he got there.(PTI)
5/9
Been there, done that. A pose that is now iconic for Hardik Pandya, having done the same in Barbados, then in Dubai, and now in his home state, on home turf in Ahmedabad. If the expectations never go away, neither does Pandya's ability to rise to meet them.(PTI)
8
Sanju Samson produced a stunning century to power Chennai Super Kings to their first win of the season, ending a three-match losing streak with a 23-run victory over Delhi Capitals.
8
It's not often that a team will concede 105 in the powerplay and go on to win – but for Punjab Kings it managed to be a walk in the part as they consolidated at second place in the table. In the franchise's 10th chase of 200+, 220 was hauled down with ease – title contender credentials continue to prove to be very real.
9
Incredible drama in New Delhi, and you have to say IPL 2026 is up and running! With DC’s backs against the wall, David Miller produced a hitting display right out of the top shelf to bring it down to 2 from 2. But it wasn’t game over, and a couple of errors gifted the win and the two points, by a solitary run, to Gujarat Titans. A shake-up in the IPL table after one of the great matches in recent IPL history.