After T20 World Cup triumph, Team India target gold in LA2028
Men in Blue beat New Zealand comfortably to retain the title at Ahmedabad on Sunday
Dubai: After successfully defending their T20 World Cup title with a dominant win over New Zealand in the final at Ahmedabad on Sunday, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has already set his sights on the next big prize, the Olympic gold.
Cricket will return to the Olympics after more than a century at the Los Angeles Games in August 2028. According to the official Olympic schedule, the cricket competition will begin on July 12, 2028.
“The next goal is the Olympics — winning Olympic gold, and also the T20 World Cup that year. Don’t forget that,” Suryakumar said.
India’s 96-run victory over New Zealand in the final made history. The team became the first to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title and the first to win the tournament three times. It was also the first time a side had lifted the trophy on home soil.
Reflecting on the triumph, Suryakumar said the moment had yet to fully sink in. “It will take some time to sink in. We’ve just come out of the game. It was a great match, and playing at home made it even more special. When we wake up tomorrow and head back home — wherever that may be — it will be an incredible feeling. What has happened over the last two years since the 2024 T20 World Cup has been unbelievable. I don’t even know how to express it. It’s been a wonderful journey.”
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He added that the team’s campaign had not started the way they hoped, but they grew stronger as the tournament progressed.
“The last month has been fantastic, even though it didn’t start the way we wanted. But that’s part of sport. The journey from then until today has been very special. What we’ve achieved together as a team is there for everyone to see.”
Ending a long wait
India had earlier won the T20 World Cup in 2024 under captain Rohit Sharma in Barbados, ending a long wait for a major ICC title since the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Following the final against South Africa in 2024, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from T20 internationals, with Suryakumar taking over the captaincy.
“That drought ended in 2024 after a very long time, and from there we never looked back,” said the 35-year-old. “We started playing a different brand of cricket in 2024 and understood how this team needed to move forward. Since then, it’s been an incredible journey.”
Suryakumar also said the team was determined to keep delivering memorable moments for fans at home. “We wanted to do something special in front of our home crowd. We want to keep doing that and never stop.”
Head coach Gautam Gambhir, who took over from Rahul Dravid after the 2024 T20 World Cup win, said he hopes the team has begun building a new legacy. “I don’t believe in inheriting anything — I believe in creating something,” Gambhir said. “Hopefully we’ve created something that all of you can be proud of, especially the brand of cricket we’ve played.”
