Ishan Kishan (Screengrab) NEW DELHI: India’s victory in the 2026 T20 World Cup has sparked both celebration and controversy. Keepers batsman Ishan Kishan was visibly upset when reporters asked him about former cricketer Kirti Azad’s comments about the team taking the trophy to a Hindu temple in Ahmedabad. Kishan dismissed the question and said, “How many questions are you going to ask, what question did Kirti Azad say? How many questions are there (Winning the World Cup is such a great thing. You people should ask good questions. What can I say about what Kirti Azad said? Please ask some good questions to make it enjoyable).”
Sanju Samson begins his T20 World Cup journey and wins the title
Azad criticized the move on social media and questioned why the trophy was only taken to the temple. He wrote: “Why NOT a mosque? Why NOT a church? Why NOT a Gurudwara?… The trophy belongs to 1.4 MILLION Indians OF EVERY FAITH — NOT THE VICTORY WHEEL OF ONE RELIGION!” He added that India’s 1983 World Cup team represented many religions and said, “When we won the World Cup in 1983 under Kapil Dev, we had a Hindu Muslim Sikh and a Christian in the team.”
Vote
Which aspect of India’s T20 World Cup victory impressed you the most?
Azad also emphasized that the team represents the entire country, writing, “This team represents INDIA – not the family of Surya Kumar Yadav or Jay Shah,” and pointed out that players like Siraj or Sanju Samson never took the trophy to their own places of worship.Watch Ishan Kishan talking to reporters:After winning the T20 World Cup, Kishan spoke about his personal journey. After being dropped earlier, he worked his way back into domestic cricket and described the experience as a “roller coaster”. In this tournament, the left-handed batsman scored 317 runs at a strike rate of over 190, including three half-centuries.On Sunday, India sealed the title with a dominant performance in the final against New Zealand. After losing the toss, India amassed a record 255/5 thanks to the quick fifties of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Kishan. New Zealand never recovered in the chase and were bowled out for 159.The win made India the first team to win three T20 World Cups and the first to win back-to-back titles while also winning the tournament on home soil.
