Sanju Samson and Gautam Gambhir, two figures who had been at the centre of intense social media debate, found redemption as India defeated the New Zealand national cricket team to win the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

Samson was not part of India’s starting XI at the beginning of the tournament, but the wicketkeeper-batter grabbed his opportunities when they came. He delivered crucial performances in the final three matches, playing a key role in India’s title-winning campaign.

Gambhir, meanwhile, put speculation about his coaching future to rest by guiding India to back-to-back T20 World Cup titles.

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Following the victory, India pacer Arshdeep Singh shared a couple of humorous videos on social media, playfully trolling both Samson and Gambhir.

The phrase “Justice for Sanju Samson” had frequently trended online whenever the Kerala batter was overlooked for selection. It was only after the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma that Samson became a regular member of the side. After being named Player of the Series in the tournament, Samson was cheekily teased by Arshdeep, who said, “Justice mil gaya,” referring to the popular social media slogan.

Arshdeep also turned the camera towards Gambhir and joked, “Paaji, kade has vi leya karo yaar (brother, you should smile sometimes),” leaving the Indian head coach laughing.

Gautam Gambhir hits out at social media criticism

Speaking after the title win, Gambhir addressed the criticism he often receives online and emphasised that his accountability lies with the team rather than social media.

“My accountability is not towards social media. It is for the team. The process was not to be shared. We wanted to play fearless cricket, high-risk, high-reward cricket because that’s how this format works,” Gambhir said.

The former India opener added that he and captain Suryakumar Yadav were aligned in their approach throughout the tournament.

“The captain and I were on the same page. If I can work honestly with the players and we can put in the hard work honestly, that is what matters. Even if I win two ICC trophies as a coach, it really does not matter. Those 30 people in the dressing room will matter the most to me in my coaching tenure,” he added.