Fireworks lit up the night sky and music blared from loudspeakers as people across India poured into the streets on Sunday to celebrate the country’s historic win against New Zealand in the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2026 final. A crowd of over 100,000 roared in delight at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad as the Indian team lifted the coveted trophy.
Restaurants and pubs streamed the match live, fans filled the air with chants of “India! India!”, and thousands danced and sang on the streets wearing the team’s colours. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav said: “We wanted to do something special in front of our home crowd, and we want to continue doing that and never stop.”
This was India’s third T20 World Cup win, having previously won the competition in 2007 and 2024. India made history by becoming the first men’s side to retain the trophy, the first country to win it three times, and the first to win it on home soil. India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs, blasting 255 runs before bowling out the Black Caps for 159.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team in a post on X: “Champions! This remarkable triumph reflects exceptional skills, determination and teamwork. They have shown outstanding grit through the tournament. This victory has filled every Indian heart with pride and joy. Well done, Team India!”
Bike rallies were organised after the match in some cities, including Gomti Nagar in Lucknow. At other places, drum-beating fans joined in the celebrations. Mehmood, a 14-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh, told The Times of India: “I don’t have a television at home, so I came from 14km away to watch Ishan Kishan play on the big screen.”
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar wrote on X: “Winning the World Cup twice in a row, the first time any team has done so in the T20 format. Totally deserving and rightful winners of the trophy. Well done, Team India. Jai Hind!” New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said: “Today, we got outplayed by a great team in front of a great crowd. They showed again that once they get going they are pretty tough to stop.”
