The excitement is palpable as the Indian men’s cricket team, led by Rohit Sharma, prepares to celebrate their T20 World Cup 2024 victory. Reminiscent of the grand celebration in 2007, when MS Dhoni led India to win the first-ever T20 World Cup, this year’s celebration will also feature an open bus parade followed by a ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The team’s journey back home was not without challenges. Stranded in Barbados for three days due to Hurricane Beryl, the victorious players finally boarded a special ‘Long Range’ Air India chartered flight to Delhi late at night. When the plane took off, it was Wednesday afternoon in India.
Upon their arrival in New Delhi in the early hours of Thursday, Rohit Sharma and his team are expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for breakfast. Following this meeting, the team will take another chartered flight to Mumbai.
In a repeat of the historic 2007 celebrations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has planned a victory parade for the team. The players will be driven from Mumbai airport to a spot near the Wankhede Stadium. From there, they will switch to an open bus for a parade that will end at the stadium, where a small presentation ceremony will take place. During the ceremony, Rohit Sharma is likely to hand over the World Cup trophy to BCCI secretary Jay Shah. India’s thrilling seven-run victory against South Africa in the final match in Barbados on Saturday ended an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy and a 17-year wait for the T20 World Cup trophy. The victory has sparked celebrations across the nation.
In a generous move, BCCI secretary Jay Shah helped 20 stranded Indian media personnel in Barbados by arranging for them to fly with the team on the special chartered flight to Delhi. The island of Barbados had been on high alert due to Hurricane Beryl since Sunday, causing significant disruption.
As the celebrations continue, the nation looks forward to welcoming home their cricketing heroes and honoring their incredible achievement.