The English-language Indian Express said it was the first time India had won a showpiece event without a “larger-than-life megastar”.
It credited coach Gautam Gambhir with “sowing the seeds” of belief in the team, calling him the “architect” of India’s triumph.
Cricket is a national obsession in the world’s most populous country, woven deeply into its cultural and social fabric.
Star players enjoy adulation and the game serves as a rare unifying force in an otherwise diverse nation.
As the victory became inevitable Monday morning NZT, thousands of delirious fans converged on Delhi’s India Gate monument waving tricolour flags, beating drums and dancing to blaring Bollywood hits.
Drivers came out of their cars on the broad avenues around the monument to join impromptu street celebrations that stretched long into the next day.
The scene was replicated in cities, towns and villages across the country.
Batting great Sachin Tendulkar hailed the Indian team as “totally deserving and rightful winners”.
“What a fantastic performance by our team and a special brand of cricket on display,” he said, referring to their fearless attacking game.
The 50-year-old shared a photo of fans gathered outside his Mumbai residence long after midnight, writing: “Not in Mumbai to witness the celebration ... but it’s happening all over the country.”
Thousands of fans also celebrated outside the Ahmedabad stadium, where India suffered heartbreak in the 2023 50‑over World Cup final.
“India has now won back-to-back. So we hope in the next World Cup we will win as well,” Akshay, a 35-year-old engineer, told AFP.
Daval Shah, another fan, said he thoroughly enjoyed the game even though it was pretty one-sided.
“It’s always been in one corner of our mind that we were defeated here,” said Shah, 40, referring to the 2023 loss to Australia.
“It’s like a jinx, but we have broken the jinx today.”
Indian batting superstar Kohli, who retired from the shortest format of the game after India’s 2024 title win, called the performance “phenomenal”.
“Absolutely no match for the explosive cricket played by us throughout the tournament,” he wrote on X.
