Ahmedabad, March 9 (NationPress) Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of India, articulated that his aim has never been to merely inherit a winning team but to forge a fresh identity for the squad through fearless and aggressive cricket. This statement comes after India made history by becoming the first nation to successfully defend the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title.

Leading the bowling attack, Jasprit Bumrah delivered a stunning performance with figures of 4-15, aiding India in becoming the first nation to retain the Men’s T20 World Cup title and clinch the championship for an unprecedented third time before a crowd of 86,824 fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

In the past three years, India has secured three ICC titles, beginning with the T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados under the leadership of Rohit Sharma and the guidance of coach Rahul Dravid. Subsequently, they triumphed over New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, marking their second title, and on Sunday, they celebrated a historic third T20 World Cup victory.

Reflecting on India's ongoing success, Gambhir underscored the players' desire to forge their own legacy by playing without the fear of defeat, consistently outshining their rivals — a mindset he believes has been pivotal in crafting a style of cricket that the team and the nation can take pride in.

“I don’t believe in inheriting anything. I believe in creating something, and hopefully we’ve established something that you can all be proud of — the type of cricket we’ve showcased. It’s not just about taking over a team; it’s about building something original,” Gambhir expressed during the post-match press conference.

“That was always my goal as a coach — to discover if we could play a distinct style of cricket where people would say this team has consistently outscored and outbowled its opponents.”

Sanju Samson's explosive 89 off 46 balls, featuring five fours and eight sixes, propelled India to 255/5, the highest total ever in a T20 World Cup final, while Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel (3-27) dismantled New Zealand's batting order to secure the win.

The visitors were bowled out for 159 in 19 overs, with Tim Seifert being the lone warrior with a fighting score of 52.

“This group of players has displayed a fearless attitude, refusing to fear the outcome of a match. We have discussed this repeatedly in the dressing room — our foremost conversation has always revolved around not fearing the loss of a game,” Gambhir noted.

“For far too long, changing that mindset was crucial. That’s why I assert we have built something that everyone in the locker room can truly be proud of, and I’m confident the entire nation can share that pride as well,” he concluded.