India’s dominant triumph in the T20 World Cup 2026 final has drawn strong reactions across the cricketing world, especially from across the border. Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar gave one of the most controversial responses when he claimed that India’s rise has “ruined cricket”.
India outclassed New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium to seal the deal a massive 96-run victory and their third T20 World Cup title. While most cricket pundits praised the clinical performance, Akhtar launched a scathing attack during Tapmad’s Game On Hai show, comparing India to the “rich kid” dominating the neighborhood game.
Read the full article
| IND vs NZ Final: Highlights | Scorecard |
“It’s like there’s one rich kid in the neighborhood who calls all the poor kids and says, ‘Come, let’s play cricket.’ This is exactly what India is doing to us. Of the eight teams, they keep four, and of those four, they call three again and move forward, and then they say, ‘See, I’ve won.’ They have completely ruined cricket,” said Akhtar.
Watch the video:
Look at the hypocrisy of Shoaib Akhtar, on one hand he says such things and on the other hand he listens to criticize India. pic.twitter.com/jKKDGtWqtu— Neeraj Ranjan (@NeerajRanjan84) March 9, 2026
The former Pakistan pacer’s comments quickly sparked debate among fans online, with many describing the remarks as bitter after India’s emphatic victory.
Interestingly, Akhtar had a slightly different tone before the finale. While acknowledging India as favourites, he suggested he wanted New Zealand to win the title “for the sake of cricket”.
“I feel that New Zealand can get stuck in front of India but India also has the pressure of 1.5 billion people. They have already lost the World Cup final match to Australia in Ahmedabad. I see India as winners from all this but for the sake of cricket it is high time New Zealand wins this World Cup,” he said earlier.
Despite his criticism, Akhtar acknowledged one factor behind India’s success. The former pacer praised head coach Gautam Gambhir for supporting the players in tough phases, suggesting that such faith can sometimes make the difference in major tournaments.
PAKISTANI STARS ANGRY AT INDIA’S DOMINATION
Akhtar was not the only former Pakistan cricketer to make controversial remarks after India’s victory.
Mohammad Amir also shared a surprising shot during Pakistan’s cricket talk show Harna Mana Hai. According to Amir, much of the credit for India’s win should go to the New Zealand bowlers.
The former left-arm pacer suggested that the Kiwi attack failed to generate enough pressure, allowing the Indian batsmen to dictate the tempo of the game.
Such reactions from across the border added another layer to discussions of India’s title win, with several fans and pundits pointing out that the win was a result of consistent performances throughout the tournament.
HOW INDIA WON THE 2026 T20 WORLD CUP
India produced one of their most complete performances of the tournament in the final against New Zealand.
After being asked to bat first, India’s top order put up a fearless display. Sanju Samson led the charge with a brilliant 89 off 46 balls while Abhishek Sharma smashed a quickfire 52 off 21 deliveries.
Ishan Kishan continued his excellent tournament with a quickfire 54 off 25 balls before Shivam Dube added the late fireworks with an unbeaten 26 off just eight balls to power India to 255/5.
Chasing a massive target, New Zealand put up a brief fightback with Tim Seifert’s 52 off 26 balls, but India’s bowling attack soon picked up.
Jasprit Bumrah produced a sensational spell of 4/15 while Axar Patel took 3/27 to dismantle the Kiwi batting line-up.
India eventually sealed a 96-run victory and made history by becoming the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup and the first host nation to lift the trophy.
T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup Schedule | T20 World Cup Points Table | T20 World Cup Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
March 9, 2026 10:27 AM IST
