India’s celebration of their historic third T20 World Cup title has been hit by a sharp off-field controversy. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has broken his silence to slam former cricketer and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kirti Azad, accusing him of “degrading” the players after Azad questioned the team’s decision to take the trophy to a temple.
Notably, India secured the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title with a commanding 96-run victory over New Zealand in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The win marked a significant achievement under Gambhir’s coaching, with captain Suryakumar Yadav leading the team.
Less than 24 hours after the T20 World Cup 2026 victory, India captain Gautam Gambhir, captain Suryakumar Yadav and ICC chairman Jay Shah visited a nearby Hanuman temple, carrying the trophy as part of a celebratory gesture.
This act, seen by many as a personal expression of gratitude, sparked criticism from Kirti Azad.
Azad, a member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning squad, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his displeasure, suggesting the move was exclusionary.
“SHAME ON TEAM INDIA!
When we won the World Cup under Kapil Dev in 1983, we had Hindu Muslim Sikh and Christian in the team. We brought the trophy to our religious birth place our motherland India Bharat Hindustan
Why The Hell Is The Indian Cricket Trophy is being Dragged. Why NOT a Mosque? Why NOT a Church? Why NOT a Gurudwara?” wrote Azad.
This Team Represents INDIA – not Surya Kumar Yadav’s or Jay Shah’s Family ! Siraj never paraded it at a Mosque. Sanju never took it to a Church. latter had a major part to play and was man of the tournament.
The Trophy Belongs to 1.4 BILLION Indians of EVERY Faith — NOT ONE RELIGION’S VICTORY LAP! ,” he added.
Gautam Gambhir’s Stinging Rebuttal
Known for his “straight-talk” persona, Gautam Gambhir responded during a recent interview, expressing disappointment that a former player would choose to politicize a national achievement.
“What do I even say about it. I think it’s not even worth answering that question. It’s a big moment for the entire country. I think it is important that we celebrate the World Cup. That’s why I say that there’s no point picking up certain statements because they only dilute your achievements. If you want to dilute the efforts of those 15 players, then anyone will wake up and say anything tomorrow,” Gambhir told ANI in a podcast.
“It is not fair on the boys. Imagine what the boys have gone through. The amount of pressure they have gone through. After losing the game against South Africa, the kind of pressure the boys are under, and if you’re passing such a statement, you are degrading your own player and your own team. It should not be done,” he added.
Support For The Team
Notably, Gautam Gambhir isn’t the only one pushing back. Former spinner Harbhajan Singh also weighed in, calling Azad’s comments “absurd.”
“It is unfortunate to hear these things from fellow cricketers. Maybe they are preferring politics over the sport. It is even more unfortunate that he is a sportsman. The country has won a World Cup. Be happy, celebrate, but you are busy doing politics. We say in our faith that all religions are the same. There may be different Gods, but the path is the same. If they went to a temple, a mosque or a church, it is the same. It is their faith, and you should not be questioning it,” said Harbhajan.
Ishan Kishan’s Reaction: The young wicketkeeper-batter dismissed the controversy entirely when asked by reporters, simply stating, “Ask something else,” and urging the focus to remain on the victory.
