Gautam Gambhir and Arshdeep Singh (Image credit: Instagram)

NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has strongly defended pacer Arshdeep Singh following his on-field altercation with Daryl Mitchell during the final of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, saying he would have been “absolutely fine” even if the bowler had not apologised after the incident.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The flashpoint occurred in the 11th over of New Zealand’s innings at the final in Ahmedabad. After Mitchell smashed Arshdeep for two consecutive sixes, the Indian pacer fielded the ball on his follow-through and threw it back towards the batter, with the ball striking Mitchell on the pads.

Although Arshdeep apologised to the New Zealand vice-captain after the match, the International Cricket Council later fined the pacer 15 per cent of his match fee for a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct. One demerit point was also added to his disciplinary record.Arshdeep was found guilty of breaching Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to throwing a ball at or near a player in an inappropriate or dangerous manner during an international match. The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf, along with third umpire Allahuddien Paleker and fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock. Match referee Andy Pycroft imposed the sanction, which Arshdeep accepted, eliminating the need for a formal hearing.However, Gambhir played down the controversy and insisted the bowler’s reaction was a natural expression of competitive spirit.“That is okay. You’re representing your country. You’re bound to show aggression. There’s nothing wrong with that. No bowler likes to get hit for two sixes. And that is the kind of response I want to see from my players. And that there is nothing wrong. Or in fact, even if sorry is not said, I was absolutely fine with it. I was absolutely fine. He doesn’t need to say sorry. Yes, it’s good on him that he apologised. But on a cricket field, there are no friends. Neither are there any enemies,” Gambhir said in an interview to ANI.He also suggested that such moments are often exaggerated in the modern era due to social media scrutiny.“Your job is to represent your country. Your job is to win a game of cricket for your country. And you don’t want to get hit for two sixes. And that was fine. I thought we should not blow all these things out of proportion because these things used to happen before. Today, because of social media, things escalate a lot,” he added.The incident came in a match that ultimately ended in historic fashion for India, as the hosts crushed New Zealand by 96 runs to lift their third T20 World Cup title — becoming the first side to defend the trophy and win it on home soil.

India’s coach Gautam Gambhir, right, and BCCI Senior Men’s Selection Committee Chairman Ajit Agarkar during a training session on the eve of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final on March 7, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Sanju Samson being congratulated by head coach Gautam Gambhir. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has revealed that Sanju Samson’s match-defining 97 against West Indies proved to be the turning point in India’s triumphant campaign at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India sealed their third title in the tournament after defeating New Zealand in the final in Ahmedabad, completing a memorable campaign on home soil. Reflecting on the journey, Gambhir said Samson’s knock during a tense chase against the West Indies changed the momentum of the entire tournament for India.

“It’s very difficult to say, but I still believe that Sanju’s 97 against West Indies was the turning point of this campaign. It was a virtual quarter-final. Chasing 195 in a World Cup game is never easy, irrespective of the ground,” Gambhir said on JioStar.According to the former opener, Samson’s calm and controlled approach under pressure lifted the dressing-room mood and gave the squad the belief that the campaign was heading in the right direction.Team India Report Card: Perfect finish to a not-so-perfect T20 World Cup campaign“With the ease and calmness with which he batted, it gave us a lot of confidence in the group that now we were probably on the right track. When Sanju got going and the way Ishan Kishan batted at number three, a lot of things actually started taking shape,” he added.Gambhir also described winning a World Cup as India’s head coach as a deeply emotional moment, saying the opportunity to once again contribute to the country in national colours was something he never expected.“I could have never thought about winning a World Cup as a coach. I never thought I would get the opportunity or privilege to be the head coach of the Indian team because it’s an absolute privilege to again wear the India jersey or do something special for the country,” he said.

Suryakumar Yadav lifts the trophy with Gautam Gambhir as the team members celebrate. (PTI Photo)

The 2011 World Cup winner added that representing India carries a responsibility beyond personal milestones.“When your mom wishes you and tells you ‘well done’, that’s what you play for and what you live for as well. What bigger feeling is there than making 140 crore Indians proud,” Gambhir said.Throughout the tournament, Gambhir said he repeatedly reminded the players that a place in the national dressing room is a privilege.“I’ve always believed that, and I’ve always told the boys as well, that being in that dressing room is a privilege, not an entitlement. Thousands of people would want to be in my position as the head coach of the Indian team, and many would want to be in the position the players are in,” he said.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir with captain Suryakumar Yadav. (Pic credit: BCCI)

He credited India’s success to a fearless, high-impact approach in the shortest format.“From day one, I had a very strong belief that the T20 format is about impact. It’s not about milestones or individual performances. It’s about going out there and creating an impact, whether it’s on the field, with the ball or with the bat,” Gambhir explained.The head coach also highlighted the players’ willingness to adapt to different roles during the tournament, pointing out that captain Suryakumar Yadav set the tone by accepting tactical changes for the team’s benefit.“One thing which will stay with me for the rest of my life is how comfortably the boys accepted different batting positions,” Gambhir said.From Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube shifting roles in the batting order to Jasprit Bumrah delivering in every phase of the innings, Gambhir said the team’s adaptability was the defining feature of India’s title-winning run.

Gautam Gambhir and Arshdeep Singh (Image credit: Instagram)

NEW DELHI: The celebrations, laughter, tears, dance, bhangra, hugs and high-fives were everywhere among the Indian players after Team India crushed New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to lift the T20 World Cup 2026 title. This was India’s third T20 World Cup triumph, having previously won it in 2007 under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and in 2024 under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.After India won the final, Arshdeep Singh, who did not take a wicket in the title clash, was seen making reels with his teammates, including head coach Gautam Gambhir. He was playfully trolling teammates and members of the support staff.

Arshdeep posted a video reel with Gambhir. Turning the phone camera towards the head coach, he teased him by saying, “Paaji, kade has vi leya karo yaar (brother, you should smile sometimes).”Arshdeep’s playful remark left Gambhir, who is usually seen in a serious mood, laughing.In another reel with Sanju Samson, Arshdeep said: “Justice mil gaya (finally got justice).” India scripted history by becoming the first team to win the T20 World Cup at home and the first team to claim three T20 World Cup trophies.With this triumph, captain Suryakumar Yadav surpassed former skipper Rohit Sharma to register the best winning percentage by an Indian captain in T20Is.Under Suryakumar’s leadership, India have played 52 matches, winning 42, losing eight, while two ended in no result, giving him a win percentage of 80.77.Following India’s record-breaking third T20 World Cup win, captain Surya reflected on the importance of mental resilience, team understanding and off-field preparation in building a championship-winning culture. He also emphasised that the most important thing is to remain true to oneself.Speaking about the lessons from his own career, Surya stressed that failure is an inevitable part of sport.“It’s really important to understand that you’ll definitely fail more times than you succeed in sports. I mean, he must have seen it in his career. I have seen it last year, 2025. Whole year, I couldn’t get a 50. It took me 400 plus days to get a 50 for India. But that’s what I told the boys, the same thing. Ups and downs will definitely keep on coming in sport,” he said while addressing the media in the press conference.For Surya, success comes not just from technical skill but also from character, discipline and fostering trust within the team.“You have to understand, you have to respect the game. You have to try and spend time with all good people around you. That’s more important. Be true to yourself. You can’t cheat the man in the mirror when you get up in the morning or you’re going to sleep,” he added.He also highlighted the importance of understanding teammates’ temperaments, strengths and weaknesses, and building confidence through personal connection and freedom of expression.“So, those small, small things which you do off the field, I think when we come on the field, that actually gives you a lot of confidence, that gives them a lot of composure. Also, I feel you need to understand each character on the team. Everyone is different. They bring a different skill to the table. So, you need to speak to them, their temperaments, understand them. That is actually very important and that’s what we did throughout the last one and a half years, two years,” the skipper stated.

File Pic: Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni

NEW DELHI: India’s historic T20 World Cup triumph not only thrilled fans worldwide but also triggered a rare social media moment involving two of the country’s most iconic cricket figures — MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Shortly after India sealed a dominant 96-run victory over New Zealand in the final, Dhoni returned to Instagram after nearly two years to congratulate the team and support staff. The former India captain, who attended the final in Ahmedabad, couldn’t resist making a playful remark about Gambhir’s famously intense personality.

“History gets created at Ahmedabad, big congratulations to the team and support staff and to all the fans of the Indian Cricket Team worldwide. Such a pleasure to see all of you play,” Dhoni wrote.But it was his cheeky comment on Gambhir that quickly went viral.“Coach Sahab smile looks great on you, intensity with smile is a killer combo, very well done. Enjoy guys… Bumrah ke baare mein kuch na likhoon toh hi achha hai. Champion bowler,” Dhoni added, praising India’s pace spearhead while referencing Gambhir’s typically serious demeanour. Gambhir, who served as head coach during India’s successful title run, responded warmly to Dhoni’s message.“And what a reason to smile, great seeing you,” Gambhir wrote in reply, acknowledging the former captain’s presence at the stadium.

The exchange captured the attention of fans, given the pair’s long history in Indian cricket. Gambhir was a crucial member of Dhoni’s World Cup-winning sides, playing match-defining knocks in both the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup finals.Sunday’s final produced another memorable chapter in India’s white-ball legacy. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India piled up a formidable 255/5 after explosive contributions from Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma.The bowlers then sealed the emphatic victory, with Jasprit Bumrah producing a sensational spell of 4 for 15.

India’s Sanju Samson (C) celebrates with his coach Gautam Gambhir (L) after their team’s win in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup final match against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8, 2026. (AFP)

NEW DELHI: Gautam Gambhir, in the truest sense, is a Delhi boy. He wears his heart on his sleeve.And you cannot even blame him for it. There is a saying in Delhi cricket that playing for India is much easier than playing for Delhi. You have to be tough enough to survive in Delhi cricket’s ecosystem. Gambhir not only survived it, he also led Delhi to their Ranji Trophy triumph in 2007. He then went on to become one of India’s finest openers across formats.

Gambhir was India’s MVP in their two World Cup triumphs: the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup. In both finals, he stepped up on the big occasion. Whether it was his 54-ball 75 against arch-rivals Pakistan in Johannesburg or the crafty 97 that steered India to victory in Mumbai four years later, Gambhir proved to be a force in ICC tournaments. Now, as a coach, he has added a World Cup to his resume. Not to forget the Champions Trophy and his IPL exploits as captain and mentor.Gambhir has always shown a stomach for a fight. He is often remembered for those two knocks in World Cup finals, but to truly understand Gambhir one has to look at his marathon knock in Napier in 2009. Gambhir batted for 643 minutes, over 10 hours, and faced 436 balls to score 137 and secure a draw for India.

Gautam Gambhir, Head Coach of India, looks on during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Final between India and New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium on March 08, 2026 in Ahmedabad, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

Stubbornness has been a defining characteristic of Gambhir and it has always been evident in his personality.There is a saying in Delhi cricket that if Gambhir trusts you, he will back you till the hilt.Before Suryakumar Yadav became the toast of Mumbai Indians, it was under Gambhir at KKR that he realised his pedigree and was made vice-captain of the Kolkata franchise. Surya has now become only the fourth Indian captain to win a World Cup.Sticking with Sanju Samson despite the batter not performing and continuing to back Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy—the two World No. 1s who were struggling in the World Cup—are just a few examples.

Gautam Gambhir Head Coach of India and Varun Chakravarthy of India during an India ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 net session at MA Chidambaram Stadium on February 23, 2026 in Chennai, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

During KKR’s title run in 2024, he noticed Ramandeep Singh training in the gym while the others were celebrating their first win of the tournament. The next day, he spoke to Ramandeep, explained his batting role at No. 7 and 8, and assured him that he would play all the matches. Ramandeep proved pivotal in KKR’s campaign and the Punjab all-rounder even went on to play for India.Then there is Harshit Rana. The keyboard warriors kept their knives sharp, but Rana has grown in confidence and is now looking like a million-dollar investment. Although the Delhi pacer got injured before the start of India’s campaign, Gambhir finally had a bowler who could also swing those crucial 20 runs with the bat.There is an interesting story about Ayush Badoni as well. When Vijay Dahiya urged Gambhir to call Badoni for the Lucknow Super Giants trials, the current India coach drove down to a local ground where Badoni was practising and watched him silently for an hour. Badoni had no clue. Later that evening he received a call for the LSG trials. Now he too is on the fringes of the national team.Gambhir went to war with figures like the late Bishan Singh Bedi and Chetan Chauhan over Navdeep Saini. After watching him bowl for just 15 minutes, Gambhir decided Saini was a rare talent who needed to be groomed properly.“Kudos Navdeep Saini on your India debut. You already have two wickets even before you have bowled, @BishanBedi and @ChetanChauhanCr. Their middle stumps are gone seeing the debut of a player whose cricketing obituary they wrote even before he stepped on the field, shame!!” Gambhir had written in 2019 after the Delhi pacer made his India debut.Former India U-19 World Cup-winning captain and Delhi opener Unmukt Chand believes there is no one like Gambhir when it comes to injecting confidence into a cricketer.“If he supports someone, he truly backs that player. There are many examples. He made Suryakumar Yadav vice-captain. It was a very unusual thing to do back then. When you know you are valued so much in your team, your performance improves. Once the fear of failure is taken away, you thrive,” Unmukt had told TimesofIndia.com.Gambhir hardly smiles. His face rarely gives away what he is thinking or feeling. He has always been a man of few words.Former India coach Ravi Shastri, while calling India’s win, even teased the current India coach by saying, “Come on GG, show us that priceless smile of yours.”Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh made a reel with his coach saying, “Oh paaji kade has bhi liya karo yaar,” leaving Gambhir in splits.MS Dhoni, in his congratulatory post, also teased his former teammate: “Coach sahab, smile looks great on you. Intensity with a smile is a killer combo.”In that one line, Dhoni summed up the man who helped him win two World Cup finals. When the stakes are highest and the stage is a World Cup final, Gautam Gambhir has a habit of showing up. “The first thing is that the players have made me win. I have been saying this for a long time that you are as good a coach or as good a captain as your players. So I think credit needs to go to the players. The way, the professionalism and most importantly the bravery with which this tournament was played,” Gambhir said in a press conference after the win.As a player, he had the habit of turning the biggest nights into his own but after tasting World Cup glory for the first time as a coach, Gambhir stepped aside to let the players enjoy the spotlight.

Sanju Samson being congratulated by head coach Gautam Gambhir. (PTI Photo)

“We are a gun team.” These were Gautam Gambhir’s first words to a young and inexperienced Test team under greenhorn captain Shubman Gill in England last summer. That one sentence killed doubts in the dressing room as the team went on to tie the fiveTest series 2-2.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Barring the high in England, Gambhir’s Test record as head coach has been abysmal. This T20 World Cup win, however, is another reminder that he has owned the T20 format since he took charge in July 2024. His past experience in franchise cricket and his power of conviction keeps him and his team a step ahead of everybody else in this format.

That India are now the undisputed power centre of T20 cricket has much to do with the proliferation of the IPL. Gambhir the coach too is a product of the IPL. Two strong seasons with Lucknow Super Giants, followed by a title-winning season with Kolkata Knight Riders, sprung him to the Team India post vacated by Rahul Dravid.‘Transition’ was the buzzword when he took over. For Gambhir, though, it was never about forming a concrete template. He didn’t mind making wholesome changes to the T20 team which had just lifted a trophy in Barbados. His approach may seem regimented at the outset but he always leaves enough room for taking calls on the fly.ALSO READ: High risk, high reward: How ‘Total T20’ fuelled India’s march to World Cup gloryGambhir, unfailingly, invokes the “playing-for-140 crore-Indians” rhetoric in his media briefings. Form over reputation has been the underlining principle. Captain Suryakumar Yadav has been the sole exemption because Gambhir believes in having a person leading the team on the field who aligns with his thought process.Gambhir’s calls have often bordered on the whimsical. He wears his non-populist decisions like a crest. But then, that’s what the fickle nature of T20 demands. In hindsight, one may argue he is too consumed by this process. It works spectacularly well in T20s but may prevent him from maintaining the continuity demanded by the longer formats. Whether India need to split the thinktank across formats is still a debate but Gambhir has made his displeasure known about the suggestion. He is a proud nonconformist. He got the selectors to align with his ideas. Ignoring the likes of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, the biggest young brands of Indian cricket, have been coldblooded calls. Gambhir has always maintained that T20 cricket is a different sport, demanding unique skills.Indian cricket didn’t seem to be ready for such a cultural shift at the start of his regime. Now, it has embraced the change. Sources close to the team management say Sanju Samson was given a strong message about the bad habits that had crept into his game just before the T20 World Cup. As Ishan Kishan bloomed at the top of the order, Gambhir worked overtime with Samson to eliminate the exaggerated shuffle deep in the crease and stabilise the batter’s stance.The lone blunder came when he sacrificed vice-captain Axar Patel for an undercooked Washington Sundar during the Super-8 defeat to South Africa.Now that he has delivered in his strongest format as a tactician, it will be interesting to see how he reboots when the focus shifts to the ODI World Cup in 2027 and World Test Championship. Will he be flexible enough to plan for the longer formats?

India’s Sanju Samson with head coach Gautam Gambhir (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil)

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has praised India head coach Gautam Gambhir for backing Sanju Samson, whose red-hot form with the bat has become one of the biggest talking points of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.Samson was drafted back into the Indian playing XI after the team lost to South Africa, in what was effectively a knockout clash against the West Indies cricket team. The wicketkeeper-batter seized the opportunity in style, smashing a superb 97 during a tense chase to guide India to victory. He carried that momentum into the semi-final, producing a blistering 89 off just 42 balls as India defeated the England cricket team to book a place in the final against the New Zealand national cricket team.

Speaking on the ‘Game On Hai’ show on PTV Sports, Akhtar explained that Samson’s return to the side was not a straightforward call. According to the former pacer, Gambhir had to strongly advocate for the batter’s inclusion within the team management setup.“Samson has been in the Indian cricket circuit since 2014. Back in the days when I was working in India, around 2015, there was a lot of hype surrounding him. He had to wait for a long time to get regular chances as India had wicketkeepers like MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik and others. Even now, Gambhir has fought with everyone to get him into the team. Basically, his selection has been done forcefully and after a lot scrutiny. He didn’t feature in the tournament initially,” said Akhtar in a video shared by Tapmad.Samson’s numbers in the tournament underline his remarkable run of form. In four matches so far, he has accumulated 232 runs at an impressive average of 77.33 and a strike rate of 201.73, including two half-centuries. His highest score remains the unbeaten 97 against West Indies in the virtual quarter-final in Kolkata.The 31-year-old also etched his name alongside Virat Kohli after his semi-final heroics. Samson’s 89 against England equalled Kohli’s record for the highest score by an Indian in a T20 World Cup knockout match. Kohli had produced an identical 89 not out off 47 balls against the West Indies during the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016 at the same venue.Samson has also dominated the six-hitting charts in this edition of the tournament. With 16 maximums to his name, he has already surpassed the previous Indian record of 15 sixes in a single T20 World Cup campaign, which was set by Rohit Sharma in the 2024 edition.

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has urged the team management to consider a bold change ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 final, suggesting that out-of-form opener Abhishek Sharma should be rested for the title clash against New Zealand national cricket team. India will face the Kiwis in the summit clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Kaif believes the Indian think tank, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav, should not hesitate to make a change for such a crucial game. Abhishek has endured a difficult campaign in the tenth edition of the tournament, crossing the 50-run mark only once and repeatedly struggling against spin bowling.

Opposition teams have targeted this weakness by introducing spinners during the powerplay. On four occasions in the tournament, Abhishek has fallen to spin, often while trying to attack from the outset. The aggressive approach that usually defines his batting has not paid off this time, and he has struggled to adapt by rotating the strike or taking time to settle at the crease.The situation has also been complicated by a health issue before the tournament began. Abhishek suffered a stomach infection and had to be hospitalised shortly before the competition started. The illness resulted in noticeable weight loss, and the lack of physical strength appears to have affected his bat swing and overall confidence. His struggles have also extended to the field, with the left-hander dropping two catches during India’s Super 8s encounter against the West Indies cricket team.Considering these factors, Kaif believes the team could benefit from bringing in Rinku Singh for the final.“India can give Abhishek Sharma a break. He has played many matches now. There is no harm in making changes. You can make changes in the shortest format. Roston Chase opened against India as Brandon King was out of form. They backed him for five or six matches, but they gave him a break for a big match. I believe that, like you brought in Sanju, and he did a great job, so that change worked in your favour,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.“India have proven players. Rinku Singh scores runs everywhere, be it Tests, Ranji Trophy, or the IPL. Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj also take wickets everywhere. When you look in the dugout to see who can replace Abhishek Sharma, you see Rinku Singh sitting there. So, bring him in. A guy is struggling, and another guy is sitting outside despite doing well,” he added.Abhishek’s lack of runs at the top also prompted the team management to reintroduce Sanju Samson into the playing XI. The wicketkeeper-batter responded impressively, producing match-winning knocks against the West Indies and the England cricket team and earning Player of the Match awards in both games.Kaif also pointed out that Samson’s experience in high-pressure tournaments sets him apart from Abhishek, who is still relatively new to global events.“The biggest difference between Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson is that Abhishek Sharma is still quite new to ICC events. He has a fantastic record, if you leave ICC events aside. There is a big difference when playing in an ICC event like the World Cup,” said Kaif.“Sanju has scored over 8000 runs in T20S. Be it the runs or six-hitting ability, his name comes in the top 10 in the IPL. He is already an established player. Abhishek Sharma is still young and has to work on his game. He is not a finished product. Don’t compare him with Sanju. Sanju is already a finished product. He made his India debut 11 years ago,” he concluded.