Cricket's ‘Dhurandhars’ flaunt dominance as India rewrite T20 dynasty with triumphant campaign
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Cricket's ‘Dhurandhars’ flaunt dominance as India rewrite T20 dynasty with triumphant campaign")
Cricket's ‘Dhurandhars’ flaunt dominance as IND rewrite T20 dynasty in Ahmedabad Photograph: (AFP)
From the heartbreak of 2023 to the glory of 2026: India’s ‘Dhurandhars’ dismantle New Zealand in Ahmedabad to clinch a record 3rd T20 World Cup title. Explore how the Men in Blue cemented a T20 dynasty with a brutal 96-run victory on home soil.
From Ahmedabad to history books, it was all about the Men in Blue and their blunt, brutal dominance in world cricket. India recently clinched its record third T20 World Cup title, the most by any team, and rewrote its T20 dynasty following a triumphant campaign. What was more beautiful than watching a bunch of hungry, motivated and skilled champions sip their winning champagne was them doing it at the venue, which broke a billion hearts in November 2023. Seeking redemption since then, this T20I unit delivered the winning punch by 96 runs to enter the history books.
India rewrote the record books in a single night. They became the first team in 19 years to defend the title, the first to win it on home soil, and the first to reach a 'Triple Crown' of three T20 World Cups. The ‘Dhurandhars’ of Ahmedabad left no stone unturned to maximise the team’s potential and win the trophy they were always bound to, which, even the best of the teams knew from the beginning.
Over the last four ICC tournaments since the start of the 2023 ODI World Cup, Team India has dominated white-ball cricket for fun, winning 31 of the 33 contested matches, including three trophies. While the heartbreaking loss to Australia in the final of the home edition still haunts Indian cricket and its countless fans, winning two T20 World Cups under different captain-coach pair and in separate conditions, not to forget the Champions Trophy title last year, cements India’s place at the top in world cricket.
Although its naysayers have their reasons to pull it down, the Indian white-ball teams, like ‘Dhurandhars’, know a way to stand up and punch in the face of defeat.
In the past two years or so, India won the T20 World Cup in the Americas without losing a game, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in the UAE, a multilateral tournament – Asia Cup later that year, and six months later, its third T20 WC crown in the Asian conditions.
Those who have enjoyed watching the West Indies and Australian dominance years ago, when the two teams used to stand like a rock between their opponents and their will to win, are also witnessing India setting a similar narrative in this new-age cricket.
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Aura farming in cricket
India has always produced 'God-level' batters, but it has rarely possessed a battery of match-winning all-rounders. Enter Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Axar Patel—the trio that stole crunch moments and tore through opposition game plans. The three best game-changers enjoyed their time tearing into oppositions and stealing winning moments for India. While the record books might never scream their names loudly, the fans are aware of their contributions and the impact they made in crunch games.
In Ahmedabad on Sunday, India mauled the Kiwis. After being sent out to bat first, India broke most records to register the third-highest team total (255/7) in the competition’s history, and the highest in the T20 World Cup final, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma powering India to 92 inside the Powerplay alone. Handy contributions propelled them to a match-winning total, before Axar’s twin strike within the first six overs broke New Zealand’s back.
Although the Kiwis had this little phase, where they enjoyed finding gaps and scored runs, facing Jasprit Bumrah at the death sealed theirs and the finale’s fate, as the ‘greatest modern-day bowler’ tore into its tail to finish with four wickets for 15 runs in four overs.
Abhishek, who just found form in time, hammered the final nail in the coffin to help India win the T20 World Cup 2026 by 96 runs.
With a talent pool this deep and a mindset this clinical, India’s white-ball dominance isn't just a phase—it’s the new world order. For now, the rest of the cricketing world is just playing in India's backyard.
