NEW DELHI: India celebrated its
T20 World Cup
victory with a grand parade in Mumbai, bringing the city to a standstill. The parade, delayed by two hours due to crowd chaos, began after
Rohit Sharma
and his team arrived around 5 pm on Thursday.
A viral video shows quite a few slippers lost by the fans, who had gathered in large numbers to witness the
victory parade
.
The chaos left debris and lost footwear scattered along the parade route.
Watch:
Prior to the parade, the team had a breakfast meeting with Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
in New Delhi before flying to Mumbai at 3:42 pm, having returned from Barbados earlier that morning.
The
Wankhede Stadium
, the iconic venue that witnessed India's 2011 ODI World Cup triumph, was packed with passionate fans within minutes of the gates opening. The stadium's capacity was quickly reached, forcing the authorities to close the gates around 5 pm, leaving thousands of fans outside.
Inside the stadium, fans braved the rain, humidity, and a scarcity of food and water, determined to celebrate their team's victory. Despite the intermittent rain, the fans remained in their seats, entertained by a DJ playing a variety of songs, creating an atmosphere akin to a rain-dance party with speakers blaring popular anthems like "To Brazil" by Vengaboys and the unofficial sports anthem "Chak de India."
The stadium erupted with chants of "Sachin… Sachin," "Mumbaicha Raja, Rohit Sharma!" and "India… India," reflecting the unwavering support and passion of the
Indian cricket
fans.
Upon their arrival at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport's Terminal 2, Rohit Sharma and his team received a water salute. The team then made their way to the Wankhede Stadium, where they were welcomed by the roaring crowds.
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