![Gautam Gambhir won the T20 World Cup as coach [Source: Gaurav_5599/X/com]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1772991582319_GautamGambhir.jpg?type=hq)
Gautam Gambhir won the T20 World Cup as coach [Source: Gaurav_5599/X/com]
India’s T20I juggernaut reached its final stop in Ahmedabad with an emphatic 96-run win over New Zealand on Sunday night. The victory made them the first team to defend the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title and etched their name in the history books.
A large share of the credit will go to head coach Gautam Gambhir and his staff, who had been under the pump in recent months. However, the 2007 T20 World Cup winner ignored the criticism and guided Suryakumar Yadav and co. to add another trophy to India’s cabinet — this time as a coach — reaching a unique landmark in the process.
Gambhir becomes first-ever to win T20 World Cup as a player and coach
In 2007, Gambhir played a crucial role in India winning the final against Pakistan in Johannesburg. While batting first, he had scored 75 off 54 to take India’s score past 150 runs and helped India win by 5 runs.
Upon taking over the reins of the Indian team as head coach in 2024, he revolutionised the way the team went about their business alongside captain Suryakumar Yadav, and India started dominating matches. Under the captain-coach duo, India did not lose any series and reached their final destination to lift the T20 World Cup 2026.
No previous winner of the title as a player has yet won the trophy as a head coach, making Gambhir the first ever to do so. This is the second ICC title under his coaching after they lifted the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Also Read: Sanju Samson Becomes T20 World Cup Player Of The Tournament; Joins Kohli, Bumrah In Elusive List
India’s record under coach Gautam Gambhir
Gambhir joined the Indian team at the end of Rahul Dravid’s successful tenure, which ended India’s wait to win an ICC trophy with the 2024 title. Since he took over, India has played 45 T20I matches, winning 35, losing only 6 and two matches ended in ties.
In this two-year cycle, they won 8 bilateral series ahead of the eventual T20 World Cup at home.
On the other hand, they have played 20 ODI series and won 12 matches, lost 7 and tied 1. They have had a record of 2 bilateral series wins and 3 series losses, apart from the Champions Trophy.
In Tests, they have unfortunately only won 7 of the 19 with Gambhir at the helm. 10 have resulted in losses and 2 in draws. They have dropped two home series against New Zealand and South Africa as well.
Historic T20 World Cup 2026 for India
The home event brought in a lot of fan expectations for Gautam Gambhir to retain the trophy. They had the world number 1 batter, Abhishek Sharma and bowler, Varun Chakravarthy, in the team and dominated the group stage with four wins in four matches.
While they had a hiccup in the first Super 8 fixture against South Africa, Gambhir and co managed to bounce back and won all the remaining matches in the tournament. They also scored over 250 in the semi-final and final to subsequently lift the trophy.
Also Read: Watch- Suryakumar Yadav Replicates Rohit Sharma's Barbados Act After T20 World Cup Win
