Former India captain and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly stated that New Zealand lost the T20 World Cup 2026 final at the toss itself, which happened at 7.30 pm on March 8 in Ahmedabad. He stated that the New Zealand captain’s decision to ask India to bat first in the T20 World Cup final was a disastrous one.
Sanju Samson led the way with 89, while Abhishek Sharma made 52 and Ishan Kishan slammed 54 runs, while Shivam Dube also played a wonderful cameo as India posted a massive 255/5 in 20 overs. In response, New Zealand managed 159, with Tim Seifert making 52 and Mitchell Santner making 43 runs.
India won the T20 World Cup for a record third time, becoming the first team to do so. India also became the first host to win the title at home and the first to successfully defend their title.
"New Zealand lost the World Cup by 7:30 pm itself. The match started at 7 pm and was over by 7:30 pm. I said as much to the people who were watching with me. Look at India's batting—Ishan, Abhishek, Sanju Samson, Surya, Shivam, Tilak, Hardik, and Axar—and teams want to send India in! It is a recipe for disaster. And then you have Bumrah, who is a freak. Like I said to you, the game was over by 7:30 pm,” Ganguly told RevSportz.
Ganguly went on to say that the Indian side is destined for greatness under Gautam Gambhir.
“As a white-ball coach, he is very good. And he has a very good team. He understands the format, and his record is hugely impressive. To win a Champions Trophy and a World Cup in 12 months—what more do you want to showcase as a coach?" Ganguly said.
"His challenge will be the 50-over World Cup in South Africa, where the ball moves. But I am very sure he will be up to the challenge. He understands the dressing room. He is not interested in individuals; he always keeps the team's interests first. He can come across as rough, but I know him well, and he is a good man," he added.
With the caliber of Indian cricket, Ganguly believes that two excellent white-ball teams may be fielded.
"This is a very good Indian team. Just think of the players who are not on the team, and you will know how good they are. Shreyas Iyer is a bona fide white-ball great, yet he doesn't get a spot in the team. Suryavanshi can walk into any team in the world. Jaiswal doesn't get a spot in the team. Gill is sitting out. You can easily field two teams of great quality.
The only two teams who can compete with India in white-ball cricket are Australia and England. South Africa has talent and can be competitive in helpful conditions. Most other teams will not stand a chance against this Indian side,” Ganguly added.
The majority of the T20 World Cup-winning Indian players will now be seen in the IPL 2026 that begins on March 28.
