Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: India’s T20 World Cup 2026 win sparked both celebration and controversy. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan was visibly annoyed when reporters asked him about comments made by former cricketer Kirti Azad regarding the team taking the trophy to a Hindu temple in Ahmedabad. Kishan dismissed the question and said, “Kitna accha World Cup jitte hai, kitna accha sawal aaplog kijiyega, yeh Kirti Azad ne kya bola ispe mein kya bolun? Kuch accha sawal kijiye na ki mazza aya (Winning the World Cup is such a great thing. You people should ask good questions. What can I say about what Kirti Azad said? Please ask some good questions so that it’s enjoyable).”
Azad had criticised the move on social media, questioning why the trophy was taken only to a temple. He wrote, “Why NOT a Mosque? Why NOT a Church? Why NOT a Gurudwara?… The Trophy Belongs to 1.4 BILLION Indians of EVERY Faith — NOT ONE RELIGION’S VICTORY LAP!” He added that India’s 1983 World Cup team represented many religions and said, “When we won the World Cup under Kapil Dev in 1983, we had Hindu Muslim Sikh and Christian in the team.” Azad also stressed that the team represents the whole country, writing, “This Team Represents INDIA — not Surya Kumar Yadav’s or Jay Shah’s Family,” and pointed out that players like Siraj or Sanju Samson never took the trophy to their own places of worship.Watch Ishan Kishan speaking to journalists:After winning the T20 World Cup, Kishan spoke about his personal journey. After being dropped earlier, he worked his way back through domestic cricket and described the experience as a “rollercoaster.” In this tournament, the left-handed batter scored 317 runs at a strike rate above 190, including three half-centuries.On Sunday, India sealed the title with a dominant performance in the final against New Zealand. After losing the toss, India piled up a record 255/5 thanks to quick fifties from Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Kishan. New Zealand never recovered in the chase and were bowled out for 159.The victory made India the first team to win three T20 World Cups and the first to claim back-to-back titles while also winning the tournament on home soil.
