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.

AHMEDABAD: Suryakumar Yadav’s team, easily India’s greatest T20 outfit ever, created history on Sunday with an unprecedented third World Cup win, clinically demolishing a lacklustre New Zealand by 96 runs with an awe-inspiring batting performance and laser-precise bowling.

Suryakumar’s men became the first men’s international team to win successive World T20 titles and also the first to claim the trophy on home turf.

Sanju Samson (89 off 46 balls) and Abhishek Sharma (52 off 21 balls) added 92 in Powerplay and 98 for the opening stand after a tactical blunder by Black Caps skipper Mitchell Santner led to a record score of 255 for 5.

There is a very thin line between bullishness and conviction and Gautam Gambhir often operates somewhere in between.

He has a way of getting things done and Sunday was another great example of doing enough to 

History will judge whether he was a great tactician but with two ICC white-ball trophies in consecutive years, there is not an iota of doubt that Gambhir is India’s most successful men’s cricket team head coach.