When the 15-member Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka was announced, Shubman Gill was under massive pressure, having not scored runs for the home series against South Africa, including the Asia Cup 2025 and the away series against Australia.

Gill, who was excellent in 2025 for the Indian Premier League (IPL), didn’t find his name in the squad as the BCCI selectors decided to go with an extra wicket-keeper, Sanju Samson, who celebrated several records throughout the event as the blue brigade went on to lift their second successive trophy in the T20 World Cup. 

Yuvraj Singh’s reaction sparks debate over Gill’s exclusion

Yuvraj Singh, the World Cup winner and the former spin all-rounder of the national side, reckoned that luck played a massive role in Gill being out of the 15-member squad for the World Cup. 

“See, it’s really tough to perform consistently across all formats for the entire year, along with the captaincy (four formats, including the IPL). In that graph, there is only one person who has performed consistently along with captaincy across formats for the last 10 years, and that’s Virat Kohli.” Yuvraj expressed on Sports Tak.

Watch the video here: 

🚨 Yuvraj Singh on Shubman Gill's exclusion from the T20 World Cup. pic.twitter.com/feA9BjqokH

— Ahmed Says (@AhmedGT_) April 3, 2026

The Punjab-born shed light that rain, during their clash against Australia, played against Gill, who could have scored big and held his position in the playing eleven.

“Now, you brought a new boy (Shubman Gill) into the T20I side, and made him play the format for the entire year, and then you dropped him at the last moment due to lack of performance. I say that was a tough call. Normally, you have to choose 15, or you are carrying 16 or 17. So, that was a tough call.” Yuvraj added.

“Obviously, they wanted an extra keeper. Going back, Shubman, I guess, was batting on 37 or so off 21 balls against Australia, and suddenly, the rain came. If he had gone on to score 80 or 100, this question would not have been raised. So, I guess, not scoring in three to four matches in T20Is isn’t the right assessment for a player who can win the sixth game on his own.” The veteran reckoned.

Why Shubman Gill missed out despite strong IPL 2025 performances

Gill finished the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 as the fourth-leading run-getter of the event. Leading the Gujarat Titans, the right-handed batter smashed 650 runs in 15 innings at an average of 50 and a strike rate of around 156 with six fifties at the best score of 93*.

See Also: Watch: “Can’t take…” – Yuvraj Singh reacts to Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma’s ODI World Cup 2027 plans

But his form dropped terribly as he managed only 32 runs in three innings at an average of 10.67 and a strike rate of 103.23, and was dropped for the final clash.

Fans divided as selection call triggers discussion ahead of World Cup

Fans have divided on the selection call as it triggered discussions ahead of the World Cup 2026. Many reckoned that it was a wrong decision at that time, before the perception changed with India winning the title-

That's why King Virat Kohli is a generational player 💝💝❤️❤️🤗🤗

— Dibyendu shee (@Dishant3009) April 3, 2026

Agar gill world cup khelta toh india world cup nhi jiti

— Adv Ajay Agrawal (@AjayAgrawal16) April 3, 2026

Aree kar toh kisi main nhi pa raha

— DUA HINDUSTANI 🇮🇳 (@Dua_Hindustani) April 3, 2026

Discipline builds greatness 🧠🔥

Yuvraj Singh on Shubman Gill 👇

“He’s very sensible. He knows exactly what he needs to do…
That’s why he’s ahead of others — he knows how to score, when to rest, when to train, and how much to train.”#ShubmanGill #YuvrajSingh #IPL2026 pic.twitter.com/A4RVdTrm6a

— ND Sport (@SportsByND) April 3, 2026

India won the title of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. In the final, played on March 8 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, Team India created history by becoming the first team to win the tournament three times. In the title match, India faced New Zealand but achieved a big victory by 96 runs. Sanju Samson played a crucial role in this victory, scoring 89 runs in the final match and laying the foundation for a big total.

Not just in the final, Sanju Samson made fifty-plus scores in the last three matches of Team India in the T20 World Cup 2026 and was the top scorer. At one point, there was no place for Sanju in the playing XI, but then he silenced his critics when given a chance. After losing the Super-8 match against South Africa, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav made a big change by bringing Samson in place of Rinku Singh and gave him a chance to open.

See Also: Watch: Sanju Samson’s ‘better than others’ comment goes viral ahead of IPL 2026

The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter made full use of the opportunities and delivered an excellent performance for India in important matches. For this reason, when India became champions, Sanju Samson was chosen as the Player of the Tournament. Everyone is praising this player's batting performance, and now a former England footballer has also showered praise on Sanju, a video of which has been shared by Premier League India.

Which football legend praised Sanju Samson after the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026

The footballer who praised Sanju Samson is none other than former England player Michael Owen. Owen was chosen as the Ballon d'Or winner in 2001, which is awarded to the best footballer in the world. The legend, who played as a striker for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United, and Stoke City, as well as the England national team, has congratulated T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Tournament Sanju Samson and also mentioned that he will visit India soon to meet him.

“Hey Sanju, congratulations on the World Cup, amazing to see, and I look forward to coming over to India again and seeing you soon. Many congratulations.” Michael Owen said in a video shared by Premier League India on X.

Watch Video:

Ballon d'Or winner 🤝 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Player of The Tournament 🏆@themichaelowen pic.twitter.com/fwGBJWktjy

— Premier League India (@PLforIndia) March 16, 2026

When Michael Owen visited India in 2025, he met Sanju Samson. During this time, both of them participated in various activities, and a very good bond was witnessed between them. Perhaps this is the reason Owen congratulated Sanju for the T20 World Cup 2026 win and for being named Player of the Tournament.

Sanju Samson’s match-winning performances in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026

Before the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, India played a five-match T20 series against New Zealand in the shortest format. In this series, Sanju Samson completely failed, while Ishan Kishan's performance was very impressive. This was the reason Ishan was selected as Abhishek Sharma's partner in the tournament, and Sanju remained on the bench. However, Abhishek did not play against Namibia due to poor health, and in his place, Sanju opened the innings but could score only 22 runs.

After this, Abhishek returned, and Sanju was once again dropped. However, then Samson made a comeback in the Super-8 match against Zimbabwe and scored a quick 24 runs, but that was just the beginning. In the do-or-die match against the West Indies, the right-hand batter scored an unbeaten 97 runs and gave India a tremendous victory. Similarly, in the semi-final against England, he scored 89 runs.

After that, he played an innings of the same number of runs in the final against New Zealand. In this way, Sanju scored 321 runs in five matches with an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37. It was this performance that earned Samson the Player of the Tournament award.

Fans react to Sanju Samson’s rise as India’s T20 star after World Cup triumph

Sanju Samson's performance in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 was highly praised by fans. Sanju received numerous opportunities but was unable to make an impact. However, when he showed his mettle in the ICC tournament and helped India become champions, everyone was impressed. Fans also praised Sanju.

Football legend Michael Owen congratulating Sanju Samson for his POTM performance in the T20 World Cup - well deserved recognition.

— TrendsTime (@TrendsTimeEN) March 16, 2026

Appreciation from the Legends of the game 🫡

— Md Tajdar (@tajdaraslam) March 16, 2026

Sanju samson now become an international celebrity 😎

— Candy🍬 Crush (@Candy_Crush_PTI) March 16, 2026

From Premier League legend to praising a cricket hero. When Michael Owen is talking about your range, you know Sanju Samson did something special. Sport really speaks one language. ⚽🏏🔥

— 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎 (@ROMEO_77R) March 16, 2026

Michael Owen recognizing him is the ultimate crossover, especially since Sanju is a huge Liverpool fan. After his 321 runs and that 89 in the final against NZ, the "Sanju Era" is officially global. 🇮🇳⚽️

— Sagar (@Sagarunfiltered) March 16, 2026

The chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Jay Shah, has taken a dig at the Bangladesh Cricket team and the Pakistan Cricket team with the comments of ICC not being reliant on them, as he looked back at the controversy from the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

The BCB had refused to travel to India for the T20 World Cup 2026 due to security concerns, as the ICC couldn’t find any such concerns, and the demands of the Bangladesh board to move their games to Sri Lanka were not accepted.

Jay Shah’s ‘ICC not reliant on’ comment sparks debate during T20 World Cup 2026 discussion

Days after the conclusion of the 20-team event, the former secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) claimed that there was uncertainty regarding the participation of certain teams. Suryakumar Yadav-led side went on to win the title. 

See Also: Watch: Sanju Samson drops shocking comment

“This ICC World Cup was very important because there was a lot of chatter before the start of the tournament about whether certain teams would participate and how the World Cup would go ahead. As ICC chairman, I can say that no team is bigger than the organization, and no single team makes an organization. An organization is a combination of all teams.” Jay Shah was informed at the CNBC TV18 Business Leader Awards in Mumbai.

Watch the video here: 

🚨 JAY SHAH TAKES A BRUTAL DIG AT BANGLADESH AND PAKISTAN OVER T20 WC FIASCO

Jay Shah 🗣️:

• Bangladesh chose to listen to others and boycott the World Cup, but in doing so they only hurt themselves financially.

• Many claimed the tournament wouldn’t succeed if one team… pic.twitter.com/75HLN2YLLw

— Brutal Truth (@sarkarstix) March 15, 2026

“The World Cup has shattered all viewership records. For the first time in history, we recorded 7.2 million concurrent viewers. All records were broken in overall viewership. If you see, the USA gave India a hard time, the Netherlands troubled Pakistan, Zimbabwe beat Australia, and Nepal gave England a scare. I congratulate all the associate teams; they have done very well against the full members,” Shah addressed. 

What led to the Bangladesh and Pakistan controversy in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026

Bangladesh wanted their games to be shifted to Sri Lanka due to security reasons in India, which, in the end, saw the Litton Das-led side not playing the event, as the Scotland side replaced the Bangladesh side for the World Cup 2026 at the eleventh hour.

Pakistan played the T20 WC 2026. At the start, they threatened not to face the Indian side in the event before turning their decision at the last moment and playing the game at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This brought a new relationship between the BCB and PCB as they face each other in a home ODI series.

The wicket-keeper batter of the Indian side, Sanju Samson, reckoned that being dropped from the playing XI after the bilateral series at home against New Zealand left him broken, and that it was not comfortable competing with his teammates for a spot in the team, as he had scores of 46 runs in the five-match New Zealand series. 

Sanju Samson finished the T20 World Cup 2026 as their third leading run-getter of the competition with the help of 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37, thanks to three half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 97 runs in Kolkata against West Indies.

“I was totally fired up, like too desperate with the dream coming in. I thought they trusted me, but are they ready to try me out? I am the type of person who does much better for others than doing things better for myself. I was too desperate knowing that my dream was so near. But was the team still trying some combinations? So, is Sanju there or not there?” Samson expressed in the India Today program.

Sanju Samson shows belief in his skills

Samson has overall collected 1399 runs in 54 innings of the T20I format at an average of 28.55 and a strike rate of 156.83, scoring six half-centuries and three centuries at the best score of 111 runs. He reflected on his hard work for the T20 WC 2026.

Watch the video here: 

“I’m the kind of person that would do much better for others than doing better for myself”

That explains why Sanju Samson is one of the most loved cricketers around. pic.twitter.com/P9D5wO3lNX

— Nikhil Naz (@NikhilNaz) March 15, 2026

That kind of feeling played in my mind at that time. I was absolutely broken because my dream was to win the World Cup, and I was not even in the XI. I had gone away for five-six days, and I started rebuilding myself, started preparing myself, knowing you never know what the game wants to give back to you.” Samson addressed.

See Also: Watch: KKR trolls RCB in recent jersey-launch video before IPL 2026

“I knew the team management had trust in me. When the World Cup came in, I figured out what the team wants from you, so that is the mindset change that happened in my head. Right from the Zimbabwe game, we had to win four out of four matches, and the team needs you. So that's when it became very positive for me, and I was very fired up.” The wicket-keeper batter shed light.

Sanju Samson prepares for IPL 2026

Samson has overall smashed 4704 runs in 172 innings of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at an average of 30.94 and a strike rate of 139.04 with the help of 26 half-centuries and three centuries at the best score of 119.

In the previous season for the Rajasthan Royals, through an injured period, he smashed 285 runs in nine innings at an average of 35.62 and a strike rate of 140.39 with the help of one half-century at the best score of 66 runs. 

But he will leave his long-time franchise and head to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the IPL 2026 under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad, where he will open the batting.

India’s star opening batter, Abhishek Sharma, got the trust from the team management to be part of the entire T20 World Cup 2026 despite starting the event with three successive ducks. And in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the left-handed batter smashed a fine knock of 52 runs in just 21 balls, smashing six fours and three sixes. 

The former Australia wicket-keeper batter, Brad Haddin, was in full praise for the southpaw as he playfully called the star youngster ‘Rascal.’ In the first seven innings, he scored 89 runs, including a small return of 15 runs against South Africa in the Super 8 stage of the competition in Ahmedabad.

See Also: New complaint lodged against Virat Kohli as another RCB star’s bail plea on POSCO rejected before IPL 2026

“I'm a huge fan of Abhishek, and there was a lot of talk about his position throughout the tournament. Got a few ducks in a row in the pool games, and all of a sudden, you think he is under pressure, but there are the guys you want in the big moments, because they are rascals and they walk into the fire.” Haddin expressed on the Willow Talk Cricket podcast.

Brad Haddin’s rascal remark on Abhishek Sharma goes viral

Haddin also lauded the Blackcaps side, under the leadership of Mitchell Santner, for reaching yet another final of the ICC tournaments. But he pointed out that their repeated struggles at the hurdle took them down in the process. New Zealand was restricted to 159 runs in reply to India’s 255 runs during the final of the T20 World Cup 2026.

“That is what Abhishek does, he puts pressure on the opposition, and the way that he went out in that final set up the game. New Zealand has done a good job again to get to a final. I thought New Zealand was really red hot for the final.” Haddin addressed.

“The way Finn Allen and Tim Seifert were batting. I thought they were in one of those tournament modes where everything is going their way. But the last hurdle [they failed to cross]. The classier team won, didn't it?” The former wicket-keeper batter highlighted.

Thanks to their clinical performance with both bat and ball in the final of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 against New Zealand on March 08 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad by 96 runs. Five days after the end of the glorious evening, Shubman Gill, who was left out of the squad for the World Cup, posted a picture of the celebration of the blue brigade.

Shubman Gill, since then, has been facing massive flak on social media for a petty reason, as the users claimed that he edited the player of the tournament, Sanju Samson, from his congratulatory picture. The wicket-keeper opening batter of the side smashed 321 runs in five innings of the campaign, including three successive fifties in the knockouts of the fixture.

See Also: India to tour two new countries in packed 2026 international calendar: Full details

Gill had replaced Samson at the top of the order in the Asia Cup squad, but lost his place in the team when the World Cup squad was declared. Samson was brought back to the side for the NZ series at home, where he faced struggles with a string of low scores.

Did Shubman Gill edit Sanju Samson in T20 WC 2026 picture?

Fans have compared the picture posted by the Indian captain, Suryakumar Yadav, on Instagram to address that Gill removed Samson from the photograph out of jealousy and then congratulated the blue brigade. It isn’t true, and it is very unlikely that Gill spent time editing Samson in the picture.

Champions🏆🏆🏆🇮🇳🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/viDQNN8ppQ

— Shubman Gill (@ShubmanGill) March 8, 2026

Notably, another opener of the Indian cricket team, Yashasvi Jaiswal, has posted the same photo in his congratulatory post, which means that the picture of Sanju Samson posted by Gill on social media hasn’t been edited and was one of the pictures that was clicked from the other end.

Meanwhile, the fans are comparing the photo posted by the Indian captain on social media to accuse Gill. This one looks close. But it’s a different picture from what Gill put on his social media, and it can’t be confirmed that the Test and ODI captain of the side edited the original picture.

India has already been packed with a close international calendar with various series after the end of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. But the reports have claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning for two more series of the T20I games to help the board, apart from their already engaged series around the world.

The Suryakumar Yadav-led side will already be playing two more T20Is in July-August in addition to the two Tests in Sri Lanka at the request of the board to help with flood relief. Before this trip, India will make a visit to England for the three ODIs and five T20Is between July 01 and 19. And there is a chance of the T20I series in Dublin against Ireland.

See Also: Shocking dismissal of Salman Agha in BAN vs PAK 2nd ODI

The BCCI and Cricket Ireland have indicated the same, as the Indian board has already helped the opposition in 2018, 2022, and 2023 during the England series with short visits to help them financially. But for that to go forward, most of the players participating in the IPL 2026 playoffs may not take part in those games.

India likely to tour Zimbabwe and Ireland for T20Is

Post the series against Sri Lanka, India has been scheduled to play the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in September. There is already a declared series against Bangladesh for six white-ball games, which will require clearance from the Indian Government.

There could also be a short series against Zimbabwe away from home for three matches. India did the same against the Sikandar Raza-led side after winning the T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa in the final of the tournament at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

The tour could take place in September, around the same time when the West Indies are scheduled to play India for the three ODIs and five T20Is, which means that the ODI-bound players might not be able to play the T20I series against Zimbabwe. The Asian Games 2026 is also going to take place in September and October.

India is celebrating their glory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. But social media has turned its attention to the personal lives of two premier all-rounders, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya. The pair is now the center of the online speculation, with the fans wondering if a quiet issue has developed between them. The rumours have begun after the event’s celebration.

Fans have noticed that there has been no congratulatory post from Krunal Pandya for his younger brother, who played a key role. Krunal’s wife, Pankhuri Sharma, didn’t post any celebratory messages either. The speculation didn’t stop as Krunal and Pankhuri were absent from the stadium during the WC fixtures.

See Also: Know Indian cricket team’s full international schedule till February 2027

There was a time Krunal used to react to Hardik’s post. Krunal remained silent online, but model and actress Mahieka Sharma’s attention has turned to something else. She was spotted attending the games during the event and was seen spending time with Hardik’s son, Agastya, as the all-rounder called the lady his ‘lucky charm’ during the post-match celebrations.

Hardik and Krunal Pandya's rift rumours go viral 

Speculation around the Pandya family has also been linked to Hardik’s divorce from Natasa in July 2024, as the social media users reckoned that Krunal and Pankhuri have remained close to Natasa and Agastya. It’s important to note that these claims largely come from the social media discussions rather than confirmed statements from the family.

Over the years, both players have often highlighted their shared struggles, training together as teenagers and supporting each other. Hardik Pandya has sparked a significant debate during the T20 World Cup 2026 celebration in Ahmedabad, as the reports have claimed that a lawyer in Pune has filed a complaint alleging that the younger Pandya was seen lying down with his girlfriend while being wrapped in the Indian national flag.

Both Krunal and Hardik will meet each other during the clash of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Krunal is part of the RCB side that enters the IPL 2026 as the defending champions.

Just minutes after the last wicket of the New Zealand side fell against India during the T20 World Cup 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the crackers came out from all corners of the ground at the top of the stadium as the fans enjoyed the moment along with the home players, making it a picturesque period to capture for everyone present. 

A video has gone viral from a fan, who was standing at the top of the roof, which displayed multiple people working on creating the fireworks and operating them at the time of the victory, which was seen at the Narendra Modi Stadium. There is also a walkie-talkie for the people to use in communicating with the head of the operation to get the news.

See Also: “If situation…” – Board of Control for Cricket in India breaks silence on LPG crisis affecting IPL 2026

It’s never been an easy job with the cricket stadiums creating spectacular, high-tech fireworks celebrations after the match victory by the advanced, computer-synchronized products, AI-driven coordination, and sometimes the drone technology. It was designed in the same manner to ignite instantly upon the victory, as hundreds of drones formed the shape in the sky along with the fireworks.

How cricket stadiums arrange fireworks celebrations

India posted a massive score of 255 runs for the loss of five wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Their wicket-keeper opening batter, Sanju Samson, smashed a dashing knock of 89 runs in just 45 balls with the help of five boundaries and eight sixes as he earned the Player of the Tournament award. 

Watch the video here: 

How I Miss This Celebration Of T20 World Cup Celebration Video From Top Angle 👀😻 pic.twitter.com/ETTxuigvUI

— Prof cheems ॐ (@Prof_Cheems) March 12, 2026

Abhishek Sharma cracked a fine knock of 52 runs in 21 balls with the help of six boundaries and three sixes at a strike rate of 247.62, while Ishan Kishan accelerated the knock of 54 runs in 25 balls with four boundaries and as many sixes to shoulder them to that point.

Meanwhile, New Zealand got bundled out for just 159 runs as their wicket-keeper batter, Tim Seifert, got 52 runs in 26 balls. But that was never going to be enough with Jasprit Bumrah finishing with 4/15 in four overs for them to complete the 96-run defeat.

The T20 World Cup 2026 winning captain of the Indian cricket team, Suryakumar Yadav, has highlighted that he apologised to the left-arm spin all-rounder, Axar Patel, after the latter was dropped from the Super 8 clash against South Africa at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. 

Axar Patel was one of the biggest contributor for India winning the T20 World Cup 2024 and also made the difference with bat and ball whenever they required. Sky also recalled how he had a hard conversation with the all-rounder and spoken through it for the next day.

See Also: Complaint lodged against Hardik Pandya for this shocking reason after winning T20 World Cup 2026

“He (Axar Patel) was very angry — and he should have been. He’s an experienced player, he leads a franchise. He should be angry. I apologised. I told him I made a mistake, and I’m sorry, but it was a call for the team. It was a hard conversation. He took it in his stride and we talked it through the next day.” Suryakumar expressed in the ‘Indian Express’ interview.

Suryakumar Yadav says sorry to Axar Patel

During the final of the event against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, what has been the Gujarat spinner’s home base, Axar returned with a fine figures of 3/27 and become one of the players to win back-to-back T20 World Cups.

“India vs South Africa was the eye-opener. I never had any doubt in this team — but it tightened our screws. After that there was no option of coming back. For us, Zimbabwe was a pre-quarter-final. West Indies was the quarter-final. Then the semis and the final. We had to play every game like a knockout.” Suryakumar Yadav addressed.

“It is very difficult to describe just one. When we were on the podium and I was walking towards the ICC chairman to lift the trophy — I slapped my face, just to check if I was dreaming. Because we had all seen this dream together as a team. People were saying India don’t win in Ahmedabad — this after the 2023 final. But look at it now. We’ve won there, in that same stadium.” The Indian captain shed light.