‘Had to touch the soil that gave me everything’ – Suryakumar Yadav explains his special gesture after T20 World Cup 2026 triumph

Suryakumar Yadav didn’t have a great time with the bat during the 2026 T20 World Cup, but he certainly led the team commendably as India became the first nation to win the coveted title thrice.

After India defeated New Zealand in the final on Sunday, March 8, fans were cock-a-whoop, and so were the Men in Blue. Different players celebrated in their own unique way. Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan danced together while Arshdeep Singh was busy making hilarious reels. However, when the cameras panned to Suryakumar, the Indian skipper was seen bending down to touch the pitch soil. He went on to apply it to his forehead.

During a recent interview, Suryakumar was asked about the iconic moment after Sunday’s monumental win. Suryakumar said that he felt it was important to show his respect for the cricket pitch, which has given him a lot of memorable moments in his life.

“The feeling is very good. As soon as we won, I had it in my heart that the thing which has given me everything, my earth, the cricket pitch, which has given me so much, touching it and applying it on my forehead was very important,” Suryakumar told NDTV.

In the final, India posted a huge total of 255/5 after being asked to bat first by Mitchell Santner. Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan scored whirlwind fifties for the Asian giants. In reply, New Zealand could only must 159 before getting bowled out in 19 overs. Jasprit Bumrah starred with the ball for India as he bagged a four-wicket haul. This turned out to be his best figures in T20I cricket. Tim Seifert scored a quickfire half-century but it wasn’t enough to take the Kiwis anywhere close to the daunting target.

Suryakumar, however, would be disappointed with his personal performance. Apart from the half-century he scored in India’s first game against the USA, the right-handed batter failed to live up to his potential. In nine matches, he scored 242 runs at an average of 30.25 and a strike rate of 136.72.