India head coach Gautam Gambhir said it was “great to see” MS Dhoni at the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 held at the Narendra Modi Stadium. India won the tournament for the third time after beating New Zealand by 96 runs on Sunday. With this victory, India became the first team in history to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title. The win also marked India’s first triumph in the tournament on home soil.

The final in Ahmedabad turned into a star-studded event. Legendary World Cup-winning captains such as Kapil Dev, Dhoni and Rohit Sharma attended the match.

Dhoni Congratulates India and Teases Gambhir

After India’s dominant victory, Dhoni shared a message on Instagram to congratulate the team. In his post, he also gave a friendly piece of advice to Gambhir, suggesting that the coach should smile more often.

“Coach Sahab smile looks great on you, intensity with smile is a killer combo,” part of the Dhoni's caption read. On Monday, Gambhir responded to Dhoni’s message in the comment section. He said the team’s World Cup victory was a perfect reason to smile and also expressed happiness at seeing Dhoni at the stadium.

“And what a reason to smile. Great seeing you,” Gambhir wrote in the comment section.

Gambhir and Dhoni Share Historic Cricket Memories

Gambhir and Dhoni share a long cricketing history. Both played key roles in several memorable matches for India. One of their most famous partnerships came during the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup final, where India defeated Sri Lanka to lift the trophy.

Over the years, discussions about their relationship often attracted attention. Gambhir had earlier spoken against the culture of focusing too much on individual players in the team. However, whenever the two former teammates appeared together in public, they maintained a friendly and respectful relationship.

Rohit and Dhoni Present World Cup Trophy

Before the final match began, Rohit Sharma and Dhoni walked onto the field to present the T20 World Cup 2026 trophy. The two former India captains carried the silverware to the centre of the ground. Jay Shah accompanied them during the presentation ceremony.

After the final wicket fell, both Rohit and Dhoni were seen celebrating India’s victory from the stands.

India Dominate Final Against New Zealand

India delivered a strong performance in the title clash. Batters Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma scored half-centuries to guide India to a massive 255/5 in 20 overs.

Later, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah led the bowling attack with a brilliant spell. He took four wickets as India dismissed New Zealand for 159 runs. India eventually won the match by 96 runs, completing a dominant title defence.

Bumrah was named Player of the Match, while Sanju Samson received the Player of the Tournament award for his outstanding performances throughout the competition.