Gautam Gambhir reacts to MS Dhoni's ‘coach Sahab smile looks great’ remark post T20 WC win; ‘and what a reason to smile’
Gautam Gambhir became the most successful Indian team team coach after winning two ICC trophies - Champions Trophy in 2025 and T20 World Cup 2026. MS Dhoni is the most successful captain in the world in winning three ICC titles.
Gautam Gambhir has responded to MS Dhoni's "coach Sahab smile looks great" remark with a subtle reply after India's back-to-back T20 World Cup victories on Sunday in Ahmedabad. Coming into the tournament as defending champions, India retained the title with a 96-run win over New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Gracing the occasion was three former India captains Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. While Kapil brought India into the cricketing world map by leading the team to 1983 World Cup win, Rohit and Dhoni were skippers when India won in 2024 and 2007 editions of the T20 World Cup respectively. Rohit and Dhoni collectively brought the trophy on Sunday.
Post India's win, Dhoni broke his two-year silence on Instagram, praising the Men in Blue for their third T20 World Cup title. With a picture of victorious Indian team, Dhoni wrote, “History gets created at Ahmedabad, big congratulations to the team and support staff and to all the fans of Indian Cricket Team worldwide. such a pleasure to see all of u play.”
He made a special mention of India head coach Gambhir, who is known for his serious personality. “Coach Sahab smile looks great on u, intensity with smile is a killer combo, very well done. enjoy guys (BUMRAH ke baare mein kuch na likhoon tou hi acha hai. CHAMPION BOWLER),” added Dhoni.
Gambhir replied, “And what a reason to smile, great seeing u!” Incidentally, Gambhir bailed India out in the finals of 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup with scores of 75 and 97, which helped the Men in Blue prevail. Dhoni was the India captain on both occasions.
Similarity between Gambhir & MSD
With this win, Gambhir became the most-successful Indian team head coach in the history with two ICC titles, something no one has been able to replicate before. Prior to Gambhir, India won five ICC titles under five different coaches. Before T20 World Cup 2026, Gambhir guided the Indian team to ICC Champions Trophy and Asia Cup titles, both in 2025.
Similarly, Dhoni is the most successful Indian captain, the country has ever produced. Under Dhoni's leadership, India won the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, thus making him the only captain in the world with three ICC titles.
Earlier, chasing India's 255/5, New Zealand were all out for 159 in 19 overs, thus allowing the Men in Blue to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title. The victory made India the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first to win consecutive titles after their 2024 win, and the first to lift the trophy three times (2007, 2024, and 2026).
Get all the information of the T20 World Cup 2026 with the complete charts for Most Runs in T20 World Cup 2026 and Most Wickets in T20 World Cup 2026.
About the Author
Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
Stay updated with all the latest news and insights on Cricket, Football, and Tennis at Livemint Sports. Catch the live action of theT20 World Cup 2026 with the complete T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule, and the T20 World Cup 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts for Most Runs in T20 World Cup 2026 and Most Wickets in T20 World Cup 2026.