New Delhi, March 9 – The celebrations after India's second T20 World Cup title in 18 months were not particularly exuberant, perhaps reflecting the winning habit of the shortest format team.
Yes, there were smiles and hugs, and some players even did impromptu bhangra after one of the most emphatic wins in ICC finals. However, the players' immediate reactions suggested they knew that only an exceptionally bad day could have denied them the trophy.
Rohit Sharma and his team's victory in the 2024 final in Barbados ended a prolonged period of heartbreak in world events. The victory on Sunday night had an air of inevitability.
The average age of the current squad is close to 30, so most of them should remain at the peak of their powers when another T20 World Cup comes to Australia and New Zealand in the second half of 2028.
However, before defending the trophy, the players will have a rare opportunity to win an Olympic gold in Los Angeles when cricket returns to the Summer Games after a 128-year gap.
Among India's victorious 15, only captain Suryakumar Yadav, 35, is on the older side, but he is already confident of playing in the 2028 events.
"Throughout this journey, we have achieved so much as a team, and I am very happy with that," said Suryakumar after a dominant win over New Zealand in Ahmedabad. "Our next goal is the Olympics and the T20 World Cup."
Suryakumar, who has been inconsistent recently, is confident of contributing to the next T20 cycle and maintaining the team's dominance.
"Five years?" Suryakumar was asked about his motivation.
"Let's do it," Suryakumar replied.
"Obviously, we are excited about the progress since 2024. We have won three ICC trophies in a row (including the ODI Champions Trophy). We ended a long drought in 2024 and have been performing well since then."
"We won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 (under Rohit Sharma), played a different brand of cricket, and we want to achieve something special in front of our home crowd in 2026," said Suryakumar.
Hardik Pandya, another senior member of the team, believes he still has 10 years left and wants to add more world titles to his existing three.
If Jasprit Bumrah, another 32-year-old, can manage his workload, winning a third consecutive title will be easier.
Speaking to Star Sports, Pandya highlighted the differences between his 2024 and 2026 campaigns.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja had announced their T20 retirements after the victory in Barbados.
"This win was about redemption and achieving my fifth comeback," said Pandya.
Pandya was probably the most animated in his celebrations. When called a "super senior" player, he didn't seem to mind.
"It sounds good that I am a senior player, but I still have 10 years left. Half of my career is over, and half is left. I want to win at least 10 ICC trophies. I have got three. In 10 years, I want to win at least six or seven," added Pandya.
Whether it was dropping vice-captain Shubman Gill to accommodate Sanju Samson at the top of the order, or bringing back Ishan Kishan into the squad, the team management and selectors made bold calls in the team's interest.
As the final result suggests, these tough calls were necessary. The decision-makers will face more difficult calls in the next cycle to ensure the Indian juggernaut continues.
