The victory parade for Team India‘s T20 World Cup triumph was a chaotic affair. As the team’s open-bus procession made its way from Mumbai’s Marine Drive to Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, the streets were flooded with exuberant fans. The madness wasn’t confined to the roads as one man even climbed up on a tree to get a closer look at his favorite players.
Earlier that day, the victorious Indian cricket team had first visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, enjoying breakfast with him, before landing in Mumbai. Though the parade’s 5 PM start was delayed, once underway it provided a scintillating spectacle, with lakhs of people turning out to celebrate the homecoming of the newly-crowned world champions.
As the players savored the joy, love, and adulation of the moment, their celebration was interrupted when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma spotted a man perched in a tree, taking pictures. Kohli was the first to notice and quickly alerted Rohit. The India captain, accustomed to being heckled, immediately asked the man to climb down, but his request fell on deaf ears, leaving Kohli amused. The video of the incident has since gone viral on social media, becoming an instant hit.
The spotlight shone on Kohli and Rohit as the Indian team’s bus made the half-hour journey from Nariman Point to the iconic Wankhede Stadium. There, the entire team, coaching staff, and others gathered for a felicitation ceremony.
Once the event began, Rohit, Kohli, Player of the Series Jasprit Bumrah, and departing head coach Rahul Dravid delivered stirring speeches before everyone dispersed to their homes. Most of these players will now take a well-earned break as the youngsters prepare to face Zimbabwe starting Saturday.
A massive crowd attended the roadshow, leaving Kohli and Rohit in awe and almost overwhelmed, as evident from their expressions on the bus and in the stadium. One fan was in tears, lamenting that they couldn’t catch a glimpse of their favorite cricketer, Kohli. For Rohit, who has now won two T20 World Cups with the Indian team, this recent victory holds more significance than his first title 17 years ago in South Africa.