After Kirti Azad’s criticism, Suryakumar Yadav, Gautam Gambhir visit temple with T20 World Cup again

Mumbai, Saturday: Undeterred by the political storm that followed their first stop at a place of worship, India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad took the gleaming trophy back to the Shree Siddhivinayak Temple here this morning, reiterating that the celebrations are for “every Indian”.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir and stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav led the small delegation that included ICC Chairman Jay Shah, repeating the ritual they had performed in Ahmedabad immediately after the final. The visit came barely 48 hours after former India batsman and current politician Kirti Azad questioned why the trophy had been taken only to a temple, arguing that the silverware “belongs to 140 crore Indians of every faith”.

Azad’s remarks—”Why not a mosque? Why not a church? Why not a gurudwara?”—had triggered a sharp backlash from within the fraternity. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh labelled the comments “absurd” and accused Azad of “prioritising politics over sport”. Gambhir, too, dismissed the need to justify the players’ choice of venue. “It is not even worth answering this question,” he told ANI. “If you start taking every statement seriously, you dilute the achievement of those 15 players who endured enormous pressure to win the Cup.”

Inside the temple precincts, players maintained a low profile, offering floral garlands and posing for a brief photo-op with the trophy before exiting through a side gate. Ishan Kishan, one of the squad members present, urged reporters to “ask good questions” rather than fan controversy. “Winning the World Cup is such a great thing. Please focus on that,” he said.

Board officials confirmed that the brief pilgrimage would conclude the team’s public victory circuit, allowing players to disperse for a short break before the next international assignment. For now, the message from the camp is clear: the Cup is home, and where it prays should not overshadow how it was won.

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