Indian team gets grand welcome after returning home with T20 World Cup win: The Indian team, the winners of the T20 World Cup 2024, have arrived home in New Delhi with the trophy after a marathon journey from the Caribbean.
Members of the Indian team, support staff and families were stranded due to Hurricane Beryl, a category four storm at the time that passed through Barbados, which led to the closure of the Grantley Adams International Airport in Bridgetown for three days.
The flight organised by the BCCI, which was one of the many that eventually took off from the airport, departed on July 2 and arrived on July 4 in the morning India time.
Board officials and members of the media contingent associated with the tournament were also on the flight. India defeated South Africa by seven runs in the final to snap a 13-year global event drought. The award for Player of the Tournament went to Jasprit Bumrah.
Soon after their arrival, the team was welcomed by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi. India were given a grand welcome for the victory parade at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the same venue where they won their last World Cup in 2011.
Marine Drive was packed with fans to welcome the team and the title winners were given a grand welcome.
Addressing the fans at Wankhede, Rohit Sharma said:”It is a special team and I am so lucky to lead this team. The reception we have got here tells you the enthusiasm people have. This trophy means a lot to us, but it is for the entire nation.”
Virat Kohli also lauded the truly “special reception”, stating that it was something he would never forget.
The stalwart batter also reserved special praise for Jasprit Bumrah, stating that he would sign a petition to acknowledge the pacer as the “eighth wonder of the world”.
“I’ll sign the petition for Jasprit Bumrah to be the eighth wonder of the world right now. He is a once-in-a-generation bowler,” Virat Kohli said.
Source: ICC