NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has slammed 1983 World Cup winner Kirti Azad for questioning the Indian team’s management group – captain Suryakumar Yadav, head coach Gautam Gambhir and International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah – for taking the team’s trophy to the Ahmabad temple after Sunday’s men’s T20 World Cup 2026 victory.India made history by winning a record third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title, becoming the first team to successfully defend the trophy while winning it on home soil. India sealed the title with a commanding 96-run victory over New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
Suryakumar Yadav made a spectacular comeback after India’s victory in the T20 World Cup
After the win, Surya, Gambhir and Jay Shah visited the Hanuman temple near the stadium to seek blessings and take the trophy with them.Talking to reporters on Tuesday, Kirti questioned the move and said sports and athletes do not belong to any religion or caste.Reacting to Azad’s remarks, Harbhajan criticized him for politicizing the team’s visit to the temple. He said Azad’s comments were surprising and added that as a former cricketer he should refrain from making such remarks and may be putting politics above sportsmanship.“It is absurd that someone is politicizing players who take the trophy to the temple. Kirti himself is a former cricketer so I did not expect him to say such a thing. Maybe he prefers politics more and forgot that he is a sportsman,” Harbhajan said.Kirti Azad said, “140 million people were thrilled when Team India, which includes people of all religions, won. A sportsperson or a sport does not belong to any religion or caste but only to a sport. As a sportsperson, I say that Team India has won India. Team India has won and it is a matter of pride for the people of India.”Harbhajan also said he expected a bigger reward for the Men in Blue after the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced a reward of Rs 131 crore for the team following their World Cup triumph. However, he congratulated the players for their dominant campaign and for showcasing India’s strength.“I expected more because when you take on such a big task, the reward should be even bigger. But congratulations to the team for dominating the World Cup and showing everyone how mighty India is,” Harbhajan said.India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title. The win made India the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first team to win back-to-back titles after their triumph in 2024 and the first team to lift the trophy three times – in 2007, 2024 and 2026.
