Ishan Kishan gives Blunt Reply to Kirti Azad Criticism, says 'Don't Ask Stupid Questions' after Fresh Controversy

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Former Indian cricketer and 1983 World Cup winner Kirti Azad, now a Trinamool Congress MP, strongly criticized Team India's actions following their victory in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

After captain Suryakumar Yadav, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and ICC chairman Jay Shah took the trophy to a Hanuman temple in Ahmedabad near the Narendra Modi Stadium to offer prayers and seek blessings, Azad took to social media platform X to express his disapproval.

In his post, Azad wrote: "SHAME ON TEAM INDIA! When we won the World Cup under Kapil Dev in 1983, we had Hindu Muslim Sikh and Christian in the team. We brought the trophy to our religious birth place our motherland India Bharat Hindustan. Why The Hell Is The Indian Cricket Trophy is being Dragged. Why NOT a Mosque? Why NOT a Church? Why NOT a Gurudwara? This Team Represents INDIA - not Surya Kumar Yadav's or Jay Shah's Family! Siraj never paraded it at a Mosque. Sanju never took it to a Church... The Trophy Belongs to 1.4 BILLION Indians of EVERY Faith - NOT ONE RELIGION'S VICTORY LAP!"

He argued that the trophy symbolizes national pride for all 1.4 billion Indians across faiths, not a victory tied to one religion. Azad emphasized that sport and sportspersons should remain above religion or caste, questioning why the gesture was limited to a temple and not inclusive of other places of worship. He referenced non-Hindu players like Mohammed Siraj and Sanju Samson (who was Man of the Tournament) to highlight that no similar parades occurred at mosques or churches.

Ishan Kishan dismisses Kirti Azad

This sparked controversy, with some supporting Azad's call for secularism in national celebrations, while others defended it as a personal expression of gratitude. Amid this, India's World Cup winner Ishan Kishan has dismissed the comments from Azad. After returning to Patna, Kishan was asked about Azad's comments and the player was not happy with the question.

He dismissed questions about Azad's remarks, saying to focus on winning instead of thinking too much about the comment from the former India player.

"We won such a great World Cup, hence please ask decent questions. What should I say about Kirti Azad's comments? You asked a stupid question," the player added.

When asked about his plans in future, Kishan added, "Just want to keep on scoring and keep on winning matches."