Indian cricket fans waited for seventeen years for T20 world cup to return home and they ensured it is received in style as the victorious team returned from Barbados on Thursday morning.

Fans lined up at the iconic Marine Drive in Mumbai braving sudden burst of showers to watch the team victory parade and thronged the Wankhede stadium which was soaked in a festive atmosphere. Team members were presented with prize cheques as a part of the ₹125 crore award announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

While India had lifted the world cup in 50 overs edition at the same stadium in 2011 the city had last witnessed a victory parade for the team after it won the inaugural T20 world cup in South Africa in 2007.

“I could see the same craze and feel the same intensity among fans like in 2007 and 2011,” said PR professional and cricket fan Vinesh Prabhu who joined legion of cricket lovers at the Wankhede stadium.

Water canon salute

The Indian team arrived in Mumbai in a Vistara Airbus A321 aircraft which was escorted by follow me jeeps and greeted by a water canon salute by the airport’s firefighers. Unlike other arriving aircraft, the Vistara plane was not put on hold on its approach by the air traffic control unit so as to ensure a quick arrival.

Earlier in the day, the team flew into Delhi from Barbados in a chartered Air India aircraft. An Air India Boeing 777 aircraft that was to operate a Newark-Delhi flight was diverted to bring home the Indian team that was stranded in the Carribean following a hurricane. Air India deputed six pilots for the Newark-Barbados-Delhi flight. Three engineers from AI Engineering Services Ltd were flown in from Delhi for pre-departure checks at Barbados. Special congratulatory announcements were made on both Air India and Vistara flights.

The team’s first stop before visiting the Prime Minister was at Hotel ITC Maurya where they were welcomed with beats of dhol and a three-tier truffle cake on their arrival at ITC Maurya hotel in Delhi on Thursday morning.

A ITC hotel spokesperson said the hotel crafted special arrangements for the team including handcrafted in-room amenities, personalised photographs along with edible chocolate cricket bat and ball, commemorating India’s cricketing success. 

Meeting with PM

The team members along with head coach Rahul Dravid, BCCI president Roger Binny and board’s honorary secretary Jay Shah called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence. 

“An excellent meeting with our Champions! Hosted the World Cup winning team at 7, LKM ( official residence) and had a memorable conversation on their experiences through the tournament,” Modi said in a X post.

Binny and Shah also presented a special team jersey to the Prime Minister with ‘Namo1’ emblazoned on it.