(BCCI Credit)
Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, and the rest of the Indian cricketers treated the Wankhede crowd to an unforgettable evening on Thursday. The World Cup-winning team received a hero’s welcome, bringing Mumbai to a standstill.
Their day began with an early morning arrival in New Delhi, followed by a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi before departing for Mumbai in the afternoon. Upon reaching Mumbai in the evening, their journey to Wankhede Stadium was a prolonged affair due to the overwhelming reception from the public. The team enjoyed a celebratory roadshow from the Air India building all the way to Wankhede Stadium, greeted by enthusiastic fans lining the streets.
At Wankhede Stadium, the players were welcomed with thunderous cheers from the spectators. They circled the ground, celebrating with dance and song. The highlight of the evening came when Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and other team members were captured singing “Vande Mataram,” creating a stirring moment that gave everyone goosebumps.
The moment sparked a deep sense of pride and patriotism among both players and fans at the venue. The BCCI shared the video with the caption ‘Vande Mataram,’ which quickly amassed nearly two million views on social media.
The journey from the airport to Wankhede Stadium was equally special, marked by celebrations and moments of posing with the World Cup trophy during the bus parade. Mumbai locals found creative ways to witness their cricketing heroes make their triumphant journey.
Following the T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja retired from T20I cricket. Kohli, despite struggling earlier in the tournament, delivered a stellar performance in the final, scoring a crucial 76 runs to help India reach a formidable total of 176. South Africa, needing a record chase, fell short by just seven runs in the end.
The match was a roller-coaster affair with both teams giving their all. Ultimately, India held their nerve in critical moments to secure the victory. South Africa, known for faltering in the final overs, faced defeat despite having wickets in hand when they required 30 runs off 30 balls.
India’s previous ICC triumphs include the ODI World Cup in 2011 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. This T20 World Cup victory ended India’s 11-year drought without an ICC trophy, marking their first T20 World Cup title in 17 years.
“This was my last T20 World Cup and this is exactly what we wanted to achieve. This is an amazing game. I was telling Rohit (Sharma) when we went out to bat, I was like, one day you feel like you can’t get a run and then you come out, and then things happen. God is great. I bow my head in gratitude. I’m just really grateful I was able to get the job done for the team on the day that it mattered the most,” Kohli told host broadcasters after bagging the Player of the Match award.
