Suryakumar Yadav, last Sunday, did not just take India to a historic T20 World Cup win in Ahmedabad. Besides the 96-run victory in the lopsided final against New Zealand, which made India the first team to win the title on back-to-back occasions and for an unprecedented third time in history, Suryakumar joined the legion of Indian captains who have taken the national team to World Cup glory. Kapil Dev in 1983, MS Dhoni in 2007 and 2011, Rohit Sharma in 2024, and now Suryakumar in 2026.
However, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar refused to place any of the three T20 World Cup victories in the same breath as the ICC 50-over tournaments.
In a social media post that came a day after India beat the Black Caps to cap off a remarkable journey at home, Manjrekar reckoned that the 1983 and 2011 wins will always hold greater value than the T20 World Cup victories.
“In time we need to put these world titles given out every year in proper perspective. India’s T20 WC wins don’t come remotely close to their 50 overs WC wins of 1983 under Kapil Dev & 2011 under Dhoni in terms of its pure challenge & its sanctity,” he posted.
How India won the T20 World Cup 2026
India survived a near-shock against the USA in their opener before scripting an unbeaten run through the group stage, including a win against arch-rivals Pakistan. However, they were jolted by a massive defeat against South Africa in their first game of the Super 8, which not only pushed them to the brink but also forced the team management to go back to the drawing board and reconsider their plans.
Sanju Samson, who was dropped from the playing XI after a poor home series against New Zealand in January, emerged as India’s saviour to counter the off-spin frailty that troubled the batting line-up. Coming off the bench midway through the tournament, he smashed three consecutive half-centuries to become the team’s leading run-getter and win the Player of the Tournament award.
