Former India captain Rohit Sharma was among the special guests at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 8, where he witnessed another historic chapter in Indian cricket. The legendary opener, who led the India national cricket team to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 title, was present in the stands as India defeated the New Zealand national cricket team by 96 runs to lift the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 trophy.
After the emphatic victory, Rohit joined the Indian players and their families on the field to celebrate the memorable triumph. The scenes from the stadium quickly spread across social media, with several heartwarming videos capturing the emotional celebrations.
Among the many viral clips, one moment in particular grabbed fans’ attention — Rohit sharing a warm hug with India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir. The gesture symbolised mutual respect between two key figures who have both played crucial roles in shaping India’s recent white-ball dominance.
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India’s victory also placed Gambhir firmly in the history books. The former Indian opener became the first cricketer in the world to win the T20 World Cup both as a player and as a head coach. Gambhir was a member of the Indian side led by MS Dhoni that lifted the inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2007. Nearly two decades later, he achieved the same feat from the sidelines as India’s head coach in 2026.
Rohit Sharma meeting coach Gautam Gambhir, hugging him and congratulating him on the victory.🥹🫂🇮🇳
The bond between Gambhir and Rohit🤝🏻 pic.twitter.com/MpsnlF1Eah
— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) March 8, 2026
The triumph further strengthened Gambhir’s legacy as a coach. After guiding India to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, he now holds multiple ICC titles as head coach, making him one of the most successful leaders in India’s modern cricket era.
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Indian cricket has seen several iconic coaches during its major global victories. PR Man Singh was the team manager when Kapil Dev led India to the historic 1983 Cricket World Cup triumph. Later, Gary Kirsten guided India to the 2011 Cricket World Cup victory, while Rahul Dravid coached the team to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 title.
With Gambhir now adding another global trophy to India’s cabinet, the nation’s rich coaching legacy continues to grow stronger.
