On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the ICC T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team for breakfast at his residence. Following the meeting, the triumphant players headed to Delhi airport to fly to Mumbai, where a grand victory parade was organized at Marine Drive and Wankhede Stadium.
Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik told ANI that the team, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, captain Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shivam Dubey, would meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the Assembly on Friday. Sarnaik, a member of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), extended the invitation to the players, which they accepted.
MCA Secretary Ajinkya Naik announced that the public would have free entry to the victory parade, celebrating the Indian team’s success. MCA member Jitendra Awhad expressed his delight at India’s World Cup win, emphasizing the significance of cricket in Mumbai and across India.
Earlier that day, the T20 World Cup-winning team received a warm welcome from fans upon their arrival in Delhi. During their meeting with the Prime Minister, the team donned special jerseys with two stars over the BCCI emblem, symbolizing their two T20 World Cup victories. The word ‘CHAMPIONS’ was prominently displayed on the jerseys.
India broke a 13-year ICC World Cup trophy drought with a seven-run victory over South Africa in the final. Virat Kohli’s 76 runs contributed to India’s score of 176/7. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah’s outstanding bowling performances limited South Africa to 169/8. Bumrah, who claimed 15 wickets during the tournament with an impressive economy rate of 4.17, was awarded ‘Player of the Tournament.’
The team, along with support staff and media, had been stranded in Barbados due to Hurricane Beryl, which caused the closure of Grantley Adams International Airport. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah organized a flight for the team, which arrived in Delhi early Thursday morning.
After arriving at the airport, the team stayed at the ITC Maurya hotel before meeting Prime Minister Modi. A special cake featuring the T20 World Cup trophy and pictures of the players was cut at the hotel, with stars like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, and Hardik Pandya participating in the celebration.
Following their meeting with the Prime Minister, the team was scheduled to depart for Mumbai for a grand celebratory parade, including an open-top bus ride from Marine Drive to Wankhede Stadium, starting at 5:00 pm.
