Will be sleepless tonight: Pramod Bhagat after meeting Sachin Tendulkar

Grinding out in his 20s in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Mumbai Indians (MI) and domestic cricket for Mumbai, Suryakumar struggled to make it to Team India, watching many of his peers get a national cap. Despite a purple patch in the IPL from 2018-2020, which saw him score 400-500 runs consistently, India's very own 'Mr 360' struggled to catch selectors' attention. But when he finally did at the age of 30, his next five years saw him live out a decade worthy of career highs and lows, making him one of the most intriguing figures of Indian cricket.

Samson scripted a comeback for ages, as he overcame poor form and exclusion from the playing eleven to shine when everything was at stake. Having scored just 46 runs in five innings against NZ before this tournament, Samson lost his place in the team to Ishan Kishan. When a leftie-dominant top-order was struggling against off-spin, destiny handed Sanju a second chance and he grabbed it with every inch of life he had in his hands. Right from the virtual quarterfinal against West Indies to the title clash against New Zealand, Samson mesmerised one and all with his tidy strokeplay, timing and broke records to join legends like Virat Kohli, Shahid Afridi, etc. in the history books of the T20 World Cup.

Cricket legends and current stars poured in congratulatory messages for Team India after they clinched the third ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 title, becoming the first side to defend the trophy in the T20 format.

Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar lauded the Indian players for their blistering performance in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

The 25-year-old sprinter, who has brought laurels to the country through her achievements in para-athletics, was honoured for her accomplishments, including winning a bronze medal at the Paralympics and being a recipient of the prestigious Arjuna Award.