India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Monday said it was “great to see” MS Dhoni at the T20 World Cup 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Men in Blue won the tournament for the third time after defeating New Zealand by 96 runs on Sunday to become the first team in the history of the sport to defend the T20 World Cup title and also win the tournament on home soil. The grand finale was a star-studded affair, attended by World Cup-winning captains Kapil Dev, Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma.
Post India’s emphatic win in Ahmedabad, the former India wicketkeeper-batter Dhoni took to Instagram to congratulate the team for winning the tournament. It was then that he advised Gambhir to smile more, as it looks great on his face, saying, “Intensity with a smile is a killer combo.”
“Coach Sahab smile looks great on you, intensity with smile is a killer combo,” part of the Dhoni’s caption read.
On Monday afternoon, Gambhir took to the comments section, saying the World Cup win is a solid reason to smile, and also added that it was great seeing Dhoni.
“And what a reason to smile. Great seeing you,” Gambhir wrote in the comment section.
Speaking of Gambhir and Dhoni, the duo were involved in several memorable partnerships back in the day, most notably the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka. The relationship between the two has always been a talking point ever since Gambhir famously spoke against worshipping certain individuals within the team. However, whenever the two have been seen in public, they have remained cordial, exchanging a laugh or two.
Rohit and Dhoni present trophy
Rohit Sharma and Dhoni presented the T20 World Cup 2026 trophy before the summit clash began at the Ahmedabad venue. The duo walked out to the middle carrying the silverware, and ICC chairman Jay Shah accompanied them.
Once the final wicket of the match fell, both Rohit and Dhoni were seen cheering the Men in Blue and celebrating the victory.
Speaking of the summit clash, India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs to win the tournament for the second time in a row. Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma hit half-centuries to help India post 255/5 in 20 overs.
Jasprit Bumrah then returned with four wickets to help India bundle New Zealand out for 159, winning the contest by more than 90 runs. Bumrah was adjudged as Player of the Match while Samson was declared as the Player of the Tournament.
