Abhishek: Coach and captain told me I was going to win big games

Here's how India players and the support staff reacted immediately after the win

India defended their T20 World Cup title with a thumping 96-run win over New Zealand in Ahmedabad, the venue where they had lost the 2023 ODI World Cup final to Australia. Here's how their players and the support staff reacted immediately after the win.

Abhishek Sharma: 'It wasn't an easy tournament for me'

"I wanted to share this before as well but today is the best day to talk about this thing: The coach and the captain had faith in me. Even I was doubting myself because it wasn't an easy tournament for me. I hadn't experienced anything like this before - playing my first World Cup. But everyone was so like, you are going to win one big game, one big game. So I was doing my process but it was not that easy as a young player, just one or two years in the Indian team and then going through this phase. But I just love this team for the way they treated me in those days; I have never felt this way before.

"It was not that easy for me. Through the whole year, I was doing so well for the team but at the big occasion, I wasn't able to do well. But the faith and confidence the players and the coaches showed in me... I got emotional in between as well. I wanted to do really well in all the games but I couldn't. Then I was like, I wanted to talk to the coach or the captain. They always said one thing: 'You are going to win us the big games." I just wanted to wait for that day. You cannot ask for a better day than this."

Varun Chakravarthy: Abhishek and I would keep changing seats

"It feels amazing. Two back-to-back ICC trophies, it feels surreal. I am very happy for Abhishek that he was able to score today. He used to sit next to me... we would keep changing seats. We were like, 'What's happening? Nothing is working out for us.' And finally, we have won the cup, so everything is zeroed out."

Shivam Dube: My role was to hit 'big sixes'

"My role always was to hit some big sixes - that was my role from the first day of the tournament. Sometimes some other batsmen would go up but I always back myself that whenever I get the opportunity, I will hit some sixes. On his bowling I have developed a lot but I didn't bowl much this tournament. But I am going to come better next time. It's one of the biggest stages today, the crowd was amazing. This tournament belongs to the supporters of the Indian cricket team. Their prayers and love supported us a lot in bad situations. All the credit to all the Indian cricket team supporters."

Tilak Varma: 'Next couple of days will be a big party'

On batting at different positions "For the last one and a half years, we prepared to bat at any position for the team. That's what we had decided - whatever the team needs, we are up for it. On catching Whenever the team needed, the boys always stood up. In the semi-final against England, the way Axar Patel took the catches... Today also I won't say we were at our best in the field, but the way us - me and Ishan Kishan - took some good catches. So at the end of the day, we are happy that we have won the final. The next couple of days will be a big party with the boys. We had decided that after the final, we were going to do a big party. We will take a rest for a couple of days and be back for the IPL.

Arshdeep Singh: We put in efforts; result is icing on the cake

I just ran away now to say sorry to Daryl Mitchell. My throw reverse-swung to hit him! On his emotions Don't know, now it feels good because we have won. Will sink in in a couple of days. We put in the efforts, and the result is icing on the cake. The bowlers' role is that if batters score 250, we need to restrict the opposition under that. If we are bowling first, the aim is to keep them to as low a total as possible.