Watch: Kirti Azad responds to Gautam Gambhir's remarks on T20 World Cup temple visit

Former India cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad reacted to comments made by India head coach Gautam Gambhir regarding the T20 World Cup trophy visit to a temple. The discussion started after India’s historic victory in the T20 World Cup 2026 final in Ahmedabad. Azad addressed the matter while speaking to reporters on Wednesday. His response focused on respect and responsibility in sports.

Azad emphasised that sportspersons should always be treated with dignity. At the same time, he said players must also be careful about their own actions. According to him, India is a democratic country where people of different religions live together. Therefore, mutual respect among all communities should always be maintained.

"Yes, definitely, players should not be degraded. Players shouldn't degrade their situation either. Ours is a democratic country in which people of all religions live, and everyone should be respected," Azad said while speaking to reporters.

Gambhir’s Response to Azad’s Earlier Remarks

Earlier, Gautam Gambhir had strongly criticised Kirti Azad’s remarks regarding the trophy visit to a temple. Gambhir defended the Indian team’s leadership group, which included himself, captain Suryakumar Yadav and ICC chairman Jay Shah. The trio had taken the T20 World Cup 2026 trophy to a Hanuman temple near the Narendra Modi Stadium after the victory.

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"I think it's not even worth answering that question. It's a big moment for the entire country. I think it is important that we celebrate a World Cup win, and that's why I say certain statements; there is no point picking up certain statements because these statements will only dilute your achievement. If you want to dilute the achievements of those 15 players and their efforts which is not fair to the boys. I mean, imagine the boys have gone through so much. The amount of pressure they have gone through after losing a match in South Africa. The kind of pressure the boys were under. And today, if you give such a statement, then you are literally degrading your own players and your own team, which should not be done," Gambhir said in an interview with ANI.

After India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs to win the T20 World Cup 2026 title, Gambhir, Suryakumar Yadav and ICC chairman Jay Shah visited a nearby Hanuman temple to seek blessings and took the trophy along with them. Earlier, Kirti Azad had questioned the move and said, "140 crore people were excited when Team India, which includes people from all religions, won. A sportsperson or sports does not belong to any religion or caste but only to the sport. As a sportsperson, I say Team India made India victorious. Team India won, and this is a matter of pride for the people of India."