Harbhajan Singh: India’s clear win over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup 2026 final quickly became a topic of debate after some of the team’s senior members visited a religious site after the game. India beat New Zealand by a huge 96 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8. This win gave them their third T20 World Cup title and made them the first team to successfully defend the trophy on home soil.
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After the celebration, captain Suryakumar Yadav, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and ICC chairman Jay Shah are said to have taken the trophy to a nearby Hanuman temple in Ahmedabad to pray and thank God for the win. When former cricketer and current politician Kirtivardhan Jha Azad, better known as Kirti Azad, questioned the move, it quickly became a topic of political and social discussion.
Kirti Azad Asks About Religious Symbols in the Celebration After the Victory
Kirti Azad, a Trinamool Congress MP and member of the Indian team that won the World Cup in 1983, publicly questioned the meaning of taking the trophy to a temple. Azad wanted to know why the trophy was brought to a temple instead of a mosque or church, which are places of worship for other religions. He seemed to be saying that national sporting events should be open to everyone and not favour any one group.
Harbhajan Singh’s Sharp Remark for Politicising this Move!
Former Indian Criketer Harbhajan Singh strongly criticised Azad’s statement and defended the team’s actions. He described Azad’s remarks as unnecessary and accused him of trying to politicise a simple act of personal belief. According to Harbhajan, if someone wishes to visit a temple, mosque, church, or gurudwara after a big victory, it should be respected rather than questioned.
Harbhajan also emphasized that the trophy belongs to the team and the nation, and there should be no issue with where the players choose to take it as part of their celebrations.
