NEW DELHI: Huge crowds of jubilant supporters welcomed the victors of the Indian T20 World Cup home on Thursday, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sporting a smile, showered them with adulation at a private ceremony.
Following the team's days-long delay due to Hurricane Beryl, they finally touched down at Delhi airport, to wild cheers of "India, India" from the partisan audience.
Before going to see PM Modi at his house, the team waved to the spectators and danced to live music and drums at their hotel.
Rohit and his men met PN Modi wearing Indian jerseys with the words "
Champions
" printed on them.
In the evening, the team traveled along a waterfront route crowded with enthusiastic spectators in an open-topped bus through Mumbai.
They celebrated with a victory lap in front of thousands more spectators at
Wankhede Stadium
, the location of India's ODI World Cup victory in 2011.
On Friday, Rohit took to his X handle posting his picture holding the T20 World Cup trophy facing the crowd during the victory parade, with the caption 'India, this is for you'.
Once
Team India
trooped into the Wankhede on Thursday, with the players breaking into a jig to continue the celebrations, there was a sea of emotions, as the first skipper
Rohit Sharma
, outgoing head coach
Rahul Dravid
, star bat
Virat Kohli
, and then
Jasprit Bumrah
left the approximately 30,000-strong fans, waiting patiently since 4pm and having endured a sharp shower, teary-eyed with their words.
'Home boy,' skipper Rohit Sharma, addressing the fans, said: "On behalf of my team and the
BCCI
, I would like to thank the fans. Ever since we have reached India, we have seen how much it means to them. For the last 11 years, they have wanted the trophy back in India. As much desperation we had to win the trophy, the fans had it a bit more. This team is special, and I am lucky to have the chance to captain this unit."
English (US) ·