Apart from India winning the World Cup and lifting the trophy, a heartwarming exchange between two of India’s most prominent cricket figures, MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir, caught attention. If you are an avid cricket fan, you must know about the cold war between the two cricketers, especially after Gambhir’s past comments about Dhoni’s iconic match-winning six in 2011.
But now, in 2026, it seems the players have buried the hatchet and are on cordial terms.
Dhoni, who watched the final at Narendra Modi Stadium, took to social media and posted on Instagram to congratulate the team and send a playful message to Gambhir, now India’s head coach.
“History gets created at Ahmedabad, big congratulations to the team and support staff and to all the fans of the Indian Cricket Team worldwide. Such a pleasure to see all of you play. Coach Sahab, your smile looks great on you. Intensity with a smile is a killer combo, very well done. Enjoy guys (BUMRAH ke baare mein kuch na likhoon tou hi acha hai. CHAMPION BOWLER),” Dhoni captioned the post.
Gambhir, who is celebrating his first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title as head coach, responded by saying, “And what a reason to smile, great seeing you.”
After the win, Jay Shah, Suryakumar Yadav and Gambhir went to a Hanuman temple to seek blessings with the trophy.
What exactly happned in 2011
Gambhir and Dhoni were seen batting together for the first time in 2004 when India ‘A’ toured Kenya for a tri-series with Pakistan ‘A’. Gambhir was a key part of the Dhoni-led side that won the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup. In fact, he was the top scorer in the final of both events.
In the 2011 summit clash against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, Gambhir and Dhoni put up a match-winning partnership of 109 runs for the fourth wicket. Gambhir made 97 runs while Dhoni hit an unbeaten knock of 91.
Everyone credited Dhoni for the win.
Gautam Gambhir expressed his thoughts that “While we celebrate MS Dhoni’s innings in the final, we should celebrate these other efforts as much.”
“No one innings could win India the trophy. It was a collective effort and should be celebrated as such. It is because of social media that we don’t do it. Social media is biased and we all know that. But social media doesn’t make it the truth,” Gautam Gambhir said.
Gautam Gambhir created history in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup by becoming the first individual to win the tournament both as a player and as a head coach. Gambhir was part of India’s title-winning squad in 2007 and now guided the team to glory as coach in 2026 after India defeated the New Zealand national cricket team in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium to retain their crown.
The triumph also ensured that Gambhir maintained his perfect record in ICC finals, having never been part of a losing side in a title clash as either a player or a coach. India’s successful defence of the T20 World Cup under his leadership is also likely to silence some of the criticism that had surrounded him, especially regarding his bold tactical calls and controversial team selections.
India sealed the championship with a commanding 96-run win over New Zealand after putting up a formidable total of 255/5 in their 20 overs. Sanju Samson spearheaded the batting charge with a blistering 89 off 46 balls, while Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan contributed half-centuries to power India to one of the highest totals in a T20 World Cup final.
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