Gautam Gambhir Thanks Jay Shah for Support During Tough Times

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Ganpat Singh Chouhan

Gautam Gambhir Thanks Jay Shah for Support During Tough Times

Ahmedabad, March 9: The Indian cricket team clinched the T20 World Cup 2026 title by defeating New Zealand by 96 runs. This victory marks Gautam Gambhir’s second title as head coach, having previously led India to win the Champions Trophy in 2025. Following the championship win, Gambhir expressed his gratitude to ICC President Jay Shah.

While Gambhir has achieved significant success in T20 and ODI formats, his record in Test matches has been disappointing. The Indian team suffered humiliating defeats in home Test series against South Africa and New Zealand, raising questions about Gambhir’s coaching abilities. During that challenging period, he received support from Jay Shah.

In the press conference after the final match, Gambhir stated, “I want to thank Jay Bhai. The losses against New Zealand and South Africa were tough for me. I didn’t receive many calls during that time, but Jay Bhai reached out. He trusted me for this role, and I am grateful to him.”

Additionally, Gambhir dedicated the T20 World Cup 2026 title to former head coach Rahul Dravid and cricket legend VVS Laxman. Regarding Dravid, he said, “I thank Rahul Bhai for keeping Indian cricket in good shape during his tenure.” Under Dravid’s coaching, the Indian team won the T20 World Cup 2024.

For VVS Laxman, head of cricket at the BCCI’s Center of Excellence, Gambhir remarked, “He has been doing a lot behind the scenes for Indian cricket.”

Gautam Gambhir has become the first individual to win the T20 World Cup both as a player and a coach. He was part of the Indian team that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy, playing a crucial role by scoring 75 runs in the final against Pakistan.

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