FIFA President Gianni Infantino congratulated the International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah for the successful organisation of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Sharing a photo of himself holding the Indian jersey on his social media handle, Infantino also congratulated the Indian cricket team on winning a record third Men’s T20 World Cup title.

“Congratulations to the ICC and my friend Jay Shah for another wonderfully organised T20 World Cup. Many congratulations to India for another title. Having visited your wonderful country, I know how much this means to you,” Infantino wrote.

Earlier, in February, Gianni Infantino met Jay Shah in Milan, marking a massive crossover moment between two of the most popular sports in the world. After meeting Shah, Infantino took to Instagram, sharing a picture of himself with the ICC Chairman, hailing his work in cricket’s growth and wishing him luck as the sport makes a grand return to the Olympic programme at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He had also expressed the desire for collaboration with Shah in their bid to “unite the world through sports”.

“It was my pleasure to meet @icc Chairman Jay Shah today in Milan. The outstanding work he has done to grow the beautiful game of cricket is exemplary. I wish him and everyone the very best as cricket gets re-introduced to the Summer Olympic Games in two years time. I also look forward to working together and collaborating as we unite the world through sports,” Gianni had said in his Instagram post after meeting Jay Shah in February.

Coming to the T20 World Cup, the tournament concluded with India defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final, held at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, on Sunday. The victory made India the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first to win consecutive titles after their 2024 win, and the first to lift the trophy three times (2007, 2024, and 2026).

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Gambhir acknowledged the influence of those who helped build the system that continues to produce success for Indian cricket.

India created history by becoming the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title and also the first side to win the tournament on home soil. India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium to lift their third T20 World Cup trophy.

The India head coach thanked former BCCI secretary and current International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah for supporting him during challenging phases of his tenure.

And last but not the least, I have to thank Jay Bhai (Jay Shah) because not many people actually called me when I went through the lowest moments of my tenure whether it was after New Zealand or after South Africa series loss. The only person who actually called me was Jay Bhai, said the India head coach.

I really have to thank him for trusting me with this job because I remember very clearly that when I was given this role, I had no experience of being the head coach of any franchise or any team. Yet he still trusted me with the responsibility. So I have to thank him for that. And I think as long as people like him are there, Indian cricket is in very, very safe hands, he concluded.

The cricketing world hailed white‑ball powerhouse India as they etched their name deeper into history with a third men’s Twenty20 World Cup title on Sunday, defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in Ahmedabad.

Opener Sanju Samson continued his prolific run ‌with a third successive 80‑plus score, earning him the player‑of‑the‑tournament award, while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah delivered a remarkable.

“India’s formula is pretty simple,” ​former England captain Nasser Hussain said on Sky Sports.

“A batting line‑up full ​of powerful hitters that will get you an above‑par score and ⁠a bowler in Bumrah, who makes a below‑par score probably enough. He’s an absolute ​genius, and when you combine those two elements, they’re virtually unbeatable.”

Fellow Sky Sports pundit and former England cricketer Michael Atherton said India were worthy champions.

“India are more than a pre-eminent T20 side. They are the pre-eminent white-ball side at the moment,” he said.

“In the last few ICC ​global events before today they have won 30 out of 32 games.

“They are ​the strongest side in white-ball cricket.”

Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen also praised India’s dominance, ‌lauding ⁠on social media the team’s sustained excellence in the format, while current and past Indian cricketers including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Ajinkya Rahane took to social media to praise the team’s success.

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar ​credited India’s success to ​structural strength and ⁠long‑term planning.

“India have proven they are thinking in the correct manner and they have given opportunities to the right people at ​the right time,” Akhtar said on ‘tapmad’ YouTube channel.

“The speed at which India is ⁠going and the way they are investing in their system, and also the way they respect their elder generation of cricket, is commendable.”

With India now holding three T20 World ⁠Cup titles, captain Suryakumar Yadav said the side would definitely aim to chase gold at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, when they will also target another T20 World Cup crown.