While guiding the team, India captain Rohit Sharma described his team’s 2024 T20 World Cup victory as more memorable than his 2007 victory as a player. Notably, the Men in Blue defeated South Africa in the World Cup final and arrived home on Thursday, July 4.
The squad was given special treatment in Delhi and Mumbai, where supporters welcomed the World Champions with great enthusiasm when they arrived. The players were invited to a brunch meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) also arranged a unique open-roof bus road show so Mumbai fans could get up close and personal with their favorite players.
The BCCI has published a video in which skipper Rohit looks back on his first T20 World Cup victory as a player, which came in 2007. The video captures the emotions of the spectators and players throughout the roadshow. But because he was captaining the team, he says the 2024 triumph was even more meaningful to him. The Indian captain was ecstatic that their victory had made everyone in the country grin as well.
“We started in the afternoon and are now in the evening; 2007 felt different. Since it was my first World Cup, I will never forget 2007. I’m really pleased of myself because I was leading the squad, which makes it a bit more special. It’s going to get crazy. It’s evident how much this means to the country as a whole as well as to us, as you can see from the excitement. It has great significance. Thus, I’m thrilled that we were able to accomplish something similar for them as well,” Rohit stated in a BCCI-released video.
Mumbai celebrates the World Champions in grand style.
At the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where the Indian team was also honored, both Rohit and star batsman Virat Kohli expressed their happiness for the momentous occasion. The footballers gave the crowd goosebumps by singing the national anthem “Vande Mataram” and shaking a leg to traditional Maharashtrian music at the stadium.