Gautam Gambhir rips into Kirti Azad for temple visit comment: 'These statements will only...'

India head coach Gautam Gambhir gave a strong reply to former cricketer Kirti Azad who had criticised the Indian team for visiting a temple after winning the T20 World Cup trophy. Gambhir alongside captain Suryakumar Yadav and ICC Chairman Jay Shah had paid a visit to a temple after India beat New Zealand to win the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Azad, who was part of the historic 1983 Cricket World Cup-winning team, had said that the visit was a "shame on Team India" because the trophy was being taken to a religious place.

Gambhir slams Azad

The Indian head coach, who was part of the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 Cricket World Cup-winning team, said that such comments dilute the achievements of the team.

#WATCH | On TMC MP & former cricketer Kirti Azad's statement, Head Coach of Team India, Gautam Gambhir says in an interview with ANI, "...It is not even worth answering this question...These kinds of statements just degrade the players and team, which should not be done."

Watch… pic.twitter.com/gIWtMpIbm8

— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2026

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“It is not even worth answering this question. Answering that question, it is a big moment for the entire country. If you ask me, then it’s a huge moment for our whole country. I think it’s important that we celebrate the World Cup winner.

“That’s why I said certain statements; there is no point picking up certain statements, because these statements will only dilute your achievement. If you want to dilute the achievements of those 15 players and their efforts, then tomorrow anyone can give any statement, and we start taking it seriously, which isn’t fair to the boys,” Gambhir told news agency ANI.

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He added that such comments only degrade the player in the team who played under tremendous pressure to lift the trophy

“Imagine that the boys have gone through so much – the amount of pressure they’ve been under after losing one match in South Africa, the kind of pressures the boys were under. Today, if you are giving such a statement, you’re literally degrading your own players and degrading your own team, which should not be done,” said Gambhir.

Earlier, former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh also had called out the TMC MP and Kishan too had told the press to ask better questions rather than on Azad’s comment.