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Gautam Gambhir dedicated the historic third title of the T20 World Cup 2026 to the former coach Rahul Dravid and head of the BCCI Centre of Excellence VVS Laxman in an emotional post-match speech in the presence of team managers following the overwhelming 96-run victory of India over New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, March 8.

Gambhir dedicated this trophy to Rahul bhai (Rahul Dravid) and then to Laxman bhai (VVS Laxman). And the job that Rahul bhai achieved in his time in keeping Indian cricket so good... And VVS Laxman is unconditionally to do so much of it behind the scenes, in that the CoE is still the pipeline through which Indian cricket passes.

Gambhir also credited chief selector Ajit Agarkar with his candor in the face of criticism and the secretary of the BCCI Jay Shah with his unswerving support at difficult moments. The commitment brought out the continuity and legacy left by the early ones, which facilitated the successive back-to-back T20 World Cup winnings (2024 and 2026) by India and consecutive ICC trophies. Gambhir also earned praise because of his humbleness when he attributed the progress of the present squad to the system.