Suryakumar Yadav says winning the T20 World Cup 2026 final in Ahmedabad has finally allowed him to make peace with the city that once broke his heart.
When asked which game he would repeat if given the chance, the Indian T20I captain did not hesitate. He chose the 2023 ODI World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where India suffered a shock defeat to Australia after being overwhelming favorites throughout the tournament. It was a long night for Suryakumar.
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“The whole experience again? Definitely 2023 World Cup Final in Ahmedabad. I would love to do it again and win. We won in Ahmedabad. I think that story is over now,” he said at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026
The criticism that followed
It was a remarkable moment of closure for a player who carried more than personal baggage into this tournament.
In the months following his defeat in 2023, Suryakumar found himself at the center of a debate that refused to go away. Fans and pundits questioned whether he was the right one for the ODI set-up, with many arguing that a different middle-order combination could have taken India that night.
Social media has been particularly relentless. A vocal section of supporters suggested that his place in the side should go to a player better suited to the demands of 50-over-50 cricket. Some went further and insisted that India’s failure to win that final could be traced directly to the selection procedures that included him in the XI.
These views stung, but Suryakumar responded in the only way he knew how, by performing. His journey from that gut-wrenching evening in 2023 to lifting the World Cup as captain at the same stadium is a story that would have seemed far-fetched just a year ago.
The 2023 final remains one of Indian cricket’s cruellest injuries. India went through the entire tournament unbeaten, carrying the hopes of a billion fans until that November night, only to fall at the final hurdle against Pat Cummins’ Australia.
India’s win in The T20 World Cup 2026 final was comprehensive and silenced any doubts about their dominance in the shortest format. For Suryakumar personally, the result carried a meaning that went far beyond statistics or silverware.
The curse of Ahmedabad seems to have been well and truly laid to rest.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
March 16, 2026 11:15 AM IST
