This wasn’t just God’s plan: Gambhir gets emotional after T20 WC win

In his message to the nation and his team, Gambhir, a 2007 T20 World Cup winner himself, said: "This wasn’t just God’s plan, it was the plan of 1.4 Billion Indians! Each player a WORLD CHAMPION!"

Gambhir, who was known for his charismatic batting display in his playing days, took charge as the head coach of the national side after former coach Rahul Dravid left the post vacant following India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph in West Indies.

India changed the record books by becoming the first host nation to win the T20 World Cup by beating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final of the iconic tournament in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Riding on Sanju Sampson's sensational knock of 89 runs, India posted a mammoth 255 runs for the loss of five wickets after New Zealand put them to bat first after winning the toss.

Indian bowlers, guided by Jasprit Bumrah (4-15), bowled out New Zealand for 159 runs, ending their dream run in the tournament.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner (43) and Tim Seifert (52) remained the top scorers for the team in the match that was completely dominated by India.

India wrote its name in the history book as the first nation to win two back-to-back T20 World Cup titles, the last one being clinched in the West Indies in 2024 under the leadership of Rohit Sharma.

This is the third T20 World Cup won by India in the history of the tournament.