Batting great Sachin Tendulkar hailed India as “totally deserving and rightful winners”, while former England captain Michael Vaughan labelled them as the “best white-ball team by a good distance” as the cricketing world lauded the Men in Blue for clinching a historic third T20 World Cup title.
Tendulkar hailed the team's performance and shared a glimpse of celebrations outside his Mumbai home. “Winning the World Cup twice in a row, the first time any team has done so in the T20 format. Totally deserving and rightful winners of the trophy. What a fantastic performance by our team and a special brand of cricket on display. Well done, Team India.”
Former India captain Virat Kohli, who retired from the format after India’s 2024 triumph, hailed the team’s character and dominance. “Phenomenal win for Team India in Ahmedabad. Absolutely no match for the explosive cricket played by us throughout the tournament. Brilliant character shown by the boys to keep fighting in tough situations and become world champions once again,” Kohli wrote on social media.
ICC chairman Jay Shah also congratulated the team for creating history while acknowledging New Zealand's run to the final. “What an incredible finale to the most global and accessible @ICC event ever! Congrats to India, who became the first team to win back-to-back #T20WorldCup titles. Well done to Suryakumar Yadav and the whole squad and staff. Congrats also to @BLACKCAPS for their great campaign,” Shah wrote.
Former captain and former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said the victory reflected the strength of Indian cricket across levels. “Congratulations India for winning the T20 World Cup... Very powerful side... Got better in the bigger games... Indian cricket in great place. Women’s champion, under-19 champion and now the men’s T20 champions,” Ganguly posted.
Former West Indies captain and current coach Daren Sammy said India had been the team to beat throughout the tournament and stuck to his words. “Like I said from day one. In order the win the @ICC WC T20, you have to beat India in a knockout match,” wrote the head coach of West Indies, who were eliminated by India in the Super 8s stage in Kolkata.
Vaughan termed India the best white-ball side in the world. “India are the best T20 team by a good distance. They have taken the game to a different level, but you can get them in Test cricket,” wrote Vaughan. Former South Africa cricketer Herschelle Gibbs wrote: “Convincing win by India, congrats on taking home the spoils.”
Indian Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill also joined the chorus of praise. "So proud of our team. Winning a World Cup for India is the dream and you’ve made the entire nation proud. Congratulations, boys,” he wrote.
India's 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh lauded the team's character in defending the title. “Defending a World Cup takes character and this team led by @surya_14kumar played with real intent on the biggest stage! Sanju, across the opportunities showed again why he’s a match winner. Ishan was consistent right through and played a solid role in India’s run. Abhishek Sharma was outstanding in the final,” he wrote.
Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh wrote: “Total domination… well done Team India... super proud of our team.” He said he had posted his congratulatory message in advance “before the network gets busy”.
Also read: India claim third T20 WC title
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