The ICC T20 World Cup-winning Indian team arrived in Delhi on Thursday to a warm reception from enthusiastic fans eager to see their favorite heroes and the coveted trophy.
The squad members, support staff, their families, and media had been delayed in Barbados due to Hurricane Beryl, a category four hurricane that shut down Grantley Adams International Airport in Bridgetown for three days. The flight, organized by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, departed on July 2 and arrived in Delhi at around 6:00 AM on Thursday. Board officials and members of the media contingent from the tournament were also on the flight.
Upon their arrival, the Indian players were greeted with loud cheers from fans chanting “India, India” and calling out the names of their favorite players. The Men in Blue acknowledged the support, waving at fans from inside the team bus en route to the ITC Maurya hotel, where they would be staying.
India ended a 13-year ICC trophy drought with their victory in the final, defeating South Africa by seven runs on Saturday. Virat Kohli’s 76 helped India post a total of 176/7, while Hardik Pandya (3/20) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/18) restricted the Proteas to 169/8 despite Heinrich Klaasen’s quickfire 52 off 27 balls. Bumrah, who took 15 wickets throughout the tournament at an impressive economy rate of 4.17, was awarded the ‘Player of the Tournament’ honors.
After arriving at the hotel, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and head coach Rahul Dravid were among those spotted. A special cake featuring the T20 World Cup trophy was prepared to celebrate the victory.
Following their stay at the ITC Maurya, Team India is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After the meeting, they will head to Mumbai for a grand celebratory parade. The celebration will include an open-top bus ride at Marine Drive and the iconic Wankhede Stadium from 5:00 PM onwards.
