Head coach Gautam Gambhir chose to share the credit after India’s historic victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Instead of celebrating the achievement alone, Gambhir dedicated the title to former coach Rahul Dravid and National Cricket Academy chief VVS Laxman.
India national cricket team won their third T20 World Cup title after defeating New Zealand national cricket team in the final. The match was played at Narendra Modi Stadium.
The victory created history. India became the first team to defend the T20 World Cup title successfully. The Men in Blue also became the first side to win the tournament on home soil.
While the players delivered strong performances on the field, Gambhir said the success was the result of years of hard work within Indian cricket. He explained that the team’s achievements were built on the strong structure created by many people in the system.
Gautam Gambhir Praises Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Indian Cricket System
Speaking after the final, Gautam Gambhir paid special tribute to Dravid and Laxman for their role in developing Indian cricket. He said the current success was possible because of the strong foundation they helped build.
“I want to dedicate this T20 World Cup to Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. What Rahul bhai has done for Indian cricket. VVS for how he has been leading the CoE,” Gambhir said.
Gambhir also praised chief selector Ajit Agarkar for his efforts behind the scenes. In addition, he thanked Jay Shah, the former Board of Control for Cricket in India president and current International Cricket Council chairperson.
According to Gambhir, these leaders played an important role in supporting Indian cricket and building a strong team.
“Ajit Agarkar deserves a lot of credit as well because he takes a lot of flak despite the honesty and commitment with which he works. I want to thank Jay bhai for trusting me with the job. He was the only person who called me during my low times. Indian cricket is in safe hands with people like them around. I really have to thank him for trusting me with this job because I remember very clearly that when I was given this role, I had no experience of being the head coach of any franchise or any team. Yet he still trusted me with the responsibility. So I have to thank him for that. And I think as long as people like him are there, Indian cricket is in very, very safe hands,” Gambhir added.
