The victorious Indian T20 World Cup team was greeted at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport with a water salute.
Notably, a water salute is given as a sign of respect or gratitude and is uncommon. After 17 years, India won the T20 World Cup, and after 11 years, an ICC trophy—for which a special arrangement was made—was awarded to them.
In the meantime, thousands of supporters have flocked to Wankhede Stadium and Marine Drive to celebrate India’s victory. While fans in Marine Drive stayed still in spite of the intense rain, the crowd at Wankhede Stadium was heard applauding the names of Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya. For Hardik Pandya, things made sense again.
Never Seen Such A Welcome Before 😍🔥 pic.twitter.com/UJ3prv1uWj
— RVCJ Media (@RVCJ_FB) July 4, 2024
Despite receiving a lot of criticism and taunting during IPL 2024, Mumbai’s beloved all-rounder triumphed once more. The batsman was seen dancing with a group of people on July 4 morning, and he appeared to be in a terrific mood. In addition, he cut a special cake that was prepared for the players at ITC Maurya to commemorate India’s victory.
Later in the day, the Indian team also had a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. All of the players thereafter posted pictures with the PM, and they talked for more than an hour. A unique jersey was also given to the Prime Minister by BCCI officials Roger Binny and Jay Shah.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and BCCI had scheduled an evening celebration at Wankhede to honour the players and support personnel. While the players are doing a victory lap in the stadium, Shah is expected to give the captain and coach Rahul Dravid a cheque for INR 125 crore.
At Marine Drive, there is also a triumph procession planned. The team is now running behind schedule, with the event slated to start at 6 PM IST. The fans will be waiting to meet the T20 World Cup champions, though, since they are in no rush to return.