India's T20 World Cup win: Dhoni, Tendulkar lead heartfelt tributes
What's the story
India won the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup after beating New Zealand in a high-octane final at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. The Men in Blue, who claimed a 96-run win, won a record third title. They also became the first host nation to win the tournament. After the win, Team India drew praise from several eminent names from around the world. Leading the heartfelt tributes were legends MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, and Virat Kohli, among others.
Celebratory messages
Tendulkar, Kohli lead congratulatory messages
Tendulkar praised the team for their "fantastic performance" and called them "totally deserving and rightful winners of the trophy." Kohli hailed it as a "phenomenal win," praising his teammates for their resilience throughout the tournament. "Brilliant character shown by the boys to keep fighting in tough situations and become world champions once again," added the former Indian captain.
Dhoni
Dhoni congratulates Team India
Perhaps the most iconic of wishes came from MS Dhoni, who led India to the inaugural T20 World Cup title (2007). Dhoni, known for staying away from social media's glamor, took the opportunity and wrote on Instagram: "History gets created at Ahmedabad,big congratulations to the team and support staff and to all the fans of Indian Cricket Team worldwide.such a pleasure to see all of u play."
Information
Smile looks great on you: Dhoni on Gambhir
Hailing Gautam Gambhir and Jasprit Bumrah, Dhoni wrote, "Coach Sahab smile looks great on u,intensity with smile is a killer combo, very well done.enjoy guys...BUMRAH ke baare mein kuch na likhoon tou hi acha hai.CHAMPION BOWLER (It's better if I don't write anything on Bumrah)."
Global recognition
Jay Shah, Gianni Infantino hail India's win
ICC chairman Jay Shah, who was present at the venue, congratulated Team India for their back-to-back T20 World Cup title. He praised Suryakumar Yadav and his entire squad and staff for their achievement. FIFA president Gianni Infantino also congratulated India on their victory while praising the tournament's organization. Infantino posted photos with India's jersey and Jay Shah, expressing his happiness over India's win.
Celebrity reactions
Shoaib Akhtar takes dig; Ashwin calls it a statement
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar took a cheeky dig at India after their win against New Zealand, likening them to a "rich kid" inviting others only to beat them. Ravichandran Ashwin hailed the victory as more than just a title, calling it "a statement." Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan also reacted to India's historic win, with Bachchan saying he wouldn't watch the match next time so they could win again.
Twitter Post
Defending takes character: Yuvraj Singh
Back-to-back #WorldChampions! Defending a #WorldCup takes character and this team led by @surya_14kumar played with real intent on the biggest stage! 🇮🇳 @IamSanjuSamson @ishankishan51 @OfficialAbhi04 were outstanding in the final. Sanju, across the opportunities showed again…
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) March 8, 2026