Mumbai, March 14: Following India's victory in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, captain Suryakumar Yadav, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Jay Shah visited the Shree Siddhivinayak Temple with the trophy on Saturday.
India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the tournament final on Sunday, March 8, to make history, becoming the first team to win the title three times, achieve victory on home soil, and be the only team to defend the crown.
This day marks another important milestone for the Indian captain, who completed five years in international cricket, having made his debut for Team India on this day, in March 2022, against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the same venue where he led the Men in Blue to their historic T20 World Cup victory.
The 35-year-old took a moment to reflect on his journey and wrote an emotional note on his social media accounts, writing, "Five years ago, a dream turned into reality. Wearing the India jersey is a feeling I can still never fully put into words. Here's to many more memories that we're going to create, for Team India."
Earlier on Thursday, Gambhir visited the Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in the national capital to offer prayers, continuing a series of spiritual visits during and after the tournament.
Following their Sunday victory and the widespread celebrations across the country, Surya, Gambhir, and Jay Shah visited a Hanuman Temple next to the stadium in Ahmedabad, where they offered prayers and held the trophy.
Gambhir had also visited multiple temples prior to and during the tournament. Before the third T20I against New Zealand in January, he prayed at the Kamakhya Temple. Afterwards, following that match, Gambhir and the Indian team members visited the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Temple before the fourth T20I.
Gambhir, a vital part of India's victorious 2007 ICC T20 World Cup team, has achieved another milestone by winning the tournament both as a player and as a coach. His recent success places him among a select group of coaches like Rahul Dravid and Lalchand Rajput, who have led India to T20 World Cup victory.