Nearly five days have passed since the historic day at the Kensington Oval in Barbados when the Indian cricket team, led by Rohit Sharma, ended a 13-year-long wait for a World Cup trophy. India triumphed over South Africa in the final to lift the T20 World Cup 2024. The excitement surrounding the Indian cricketers remains high, as it was after 11 years that India finally secured an ICC trophy, overcoming numerous past heartbreaks.
Celebrations abounded in Barbados, with Rohit Sharma revealing that the team partied all night at the hotel. However, the players’ excitement was palpable when the trophy finally landed in India. The cricketers, support staff, their family members, and BCCI officials had been stranded in Barbados due to Hurricane Beryl but arrived in New Delhi on Thursday at around 6:10 am on a special Air India flight arranged by BCCI.
Upon landing, BCCI shared a video of the players unboxing the T20 World Cup trophy. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja were seen picking up the trophy, kissing it, and then placing it back in the box. For Rohit Sharma, the celebration was particularly meaningful as it was his last attempt at winning a T20 World Cup. His success places him alongside Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni as the only Indian captains to win a World Cup.
Hundreds of fans braved a steady drizzle to welcome the victorious players outside the Indira Gandhi International Airport. They held placards congratulating their favorite players and waved the national flag enthusiastically.
Upon arrival, the cricketers, coaches, and BCCI officials departed in batches for ITC Maurya, where special arrangements were made to welcome the World Cup champions. The team is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for breakfast.
Following this, the team will fly to Mumbai to participate in an open bus victory parade, culminating in a felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium.
