India outclassed New Zealand by 96 runs in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Sunday (March 8).
As a result, the Men in Blue became the first team to defend their T20 World Cup title, win the trophy on three occasions and win on home soil.
Reflecting on the historic feat, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said the triumph belonged as much to the fans as it did to the players.
"You guys celebrated equally with us. Congratulations to all of you. Winning the World Cup in India is very special. It feels really good here. There was support and prayers from so many people," Surya told reporters outside his residence in Mumbai.
He also spoke about sharing the special moment with his family members. "They were with me when we won. Even after coming back, I spoke to them. Now we will sit together calmly for a couple of days and talk peacefully."
Suryakumar emphatically declared that an Olympic gold medal is now the team's next target. Cricket is set to return to the Olympics at the LA 2028 Games after 128 years, featuring men's and women's T20 tournaments.
"100 per cent. The team's next aim is to win an Olympic gold for India in 2028. And that same year there will again be the T20 World Cup, so we will try our best to achieve a hat-trick of T20 World Cup wins as well."
Suryakumar credited his predecessor Rohit Sharma for placing faith in him when he assumed charge as T20I captain. "Under his captaincy, we won the T20 World Cup in 2024 as a team. After that, when Jay Shah was the BCCI secretary (he is now the ICC chairman), Rohit bhai stepped down from captaincy. At that time, he showed faith in me. For the last two years, I have led this team well, and now we have won the World Cup. He showed great trust in me, and it feels great to win. This victory is for the whole of India."
He also recalled Rohit’s advice before the start of the tournament. "Bohot acha reaction tha unka. Kyunki tournament se pehle mai unse mila tha aur unhone mujhe bataya bhi tha ki ICC tournaments me kaise khelna hota hai. Unhone kaha tha ki team achi hai aapki aur aap log courageous hoke khelna. Aap log ki hi jeet hogi."
The captain said the team handled the pressure of defending title by trusting its preparation. "We didn't really face any difficulty. We had won ICC tournaments in 2024 and 2025 and were confident that if we play well, we will win this time as well. It's good that we peaked at the right time. There was always pressure. There's no fun if there's no pressure."
Talking about the celebrations following India's triumph, Suryakumar said the team chose to enjoy the moment together. "I wish I could share what we did that night after becoming world champions… We had a good time and stayed awake until 8 a.m. We were together. Because when you win a tournament as a team in a team sport, the celebration should also happen together. So we were all together."
He also hinted at shifting focus soon to the IPL 2026 season. "The IPL schedule hasn't been released yet. We don't know when we will play, but we are very excited for the tournament."
Surya admitted that the significance of leading India to a World Cup victory only truly began to sink in after returning home to Mumbai. "Until yesterday, there were no feelings. But after arriving in Mumbai, this feeling is settling within me and will last for a long time, whether it be any tournament like the IPL. I really feel special."
Despite the success, the India captain said he remains deeply connected to his roots. "It all started in Mumbai only…in the streets of Chembur where I was born. I will not leave this place as everything started from here…including my cricket coaching."
Asked if he considered himself a proud Chembur citizen, Surya replied: "Yes…but over and above, I'm a proud Indian."
Speaking of his immediate future plan, Surya said: "My future plan for now is to go home, have good food, sleep well for 2 days, come back to play the IPL and then the Olympic tournament where we will aim to win big."
(With IANS Inputs)
