Sawt Falasteen - Unstoppable India target Olympic gold after making World Cup history

Co-hosts India hammered New Zealand by 96 runs in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday to be the first team to retain the T20 world crown and first to win it three times.

It was also the first time a team have won the title on home soil, and they did it with a brand of fearless, attacking cricket.

"It has been very special," Suryakumar told reporters at a celebratory midnight press conference, as fans across the country flooded into the streets.

"And definitely the next goal is Olympics, Olympic gold and also the T20 World Cup that year."

Los Angeles 2028 will see cricket return to the Olympics for the first time since 1900.

Led by then captain Rohit Sharma, India won the T20 World Cup two years ago in Barbados for their first major title since the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Rohit and fellow stalwart Virat Kohli retired from the shortest format after the final against South Africa and Suryakumar took over as captain.

"I think that drought ended in 2024 after a really long time and from there we never looked back," said the 35-year-old.

"We played a different brand of cricket in 2024 and from there we understood how this team needs to work (going) forward.

"And it's been a wonderful journey since then."

Suryakumar added: "We wanted to do something special in front of the home crowd. We want to continue doing that... and never stop."

India won the 50-over World Cup in 2011 at home under M.S. Dhoni, who led the team to a T20 World Cup in the inaugural edition in 2007.

After that was a comparative drought in the biggest events by India's sky-high standards.

Two-time World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir, who succeeded Rahul Dravid as coach after the 2024 World Cup win, wants to carve out his own legacy.

"I don't believe in inheriting anything, I believe in creating something," said Gambhir, who has not always been universally popular with fans and pundits as the coach.

"And hopefully we've created something which probably all of you guys could be proud of, that the kind of brand of cricket we've played."

O.Mousa--SF-PST