The victors of the T20 World Cup, India, were greeted like heroes when they came home on Thursday, with fans lining the streets to catch a sight of their heroes, led by captain Rohit Sharma.
After being delayed for several days by Hurricane Beryl, they finally arrived in New Delhi, to raucous cries of “India, India” from the Caribbean.
As the players exited the arrivals area, their gold medals dangling around their necks and some even giving their supporters a thumbs up, they were met with whistles and raucous cheers.
“Watching my team with the World Cup is surreal,” tearful supporter Rohit Khanna told AFP. “Although I witnessed the victory in 2011, this is a moment I will never forget.”
Long before daybreak, people flocked to the airport in New Delhi, despite the monsoon rain, to catch a sight of their heroes, who had defeated South Africa in an exciting Barbados final on Saturday.
The Indian cricket board posted on social media, saying, “It’s home.”
The audience exploded when captain Rohit emerged with the dazzling trophy, which he lifted into the air, followed by vice captain Hardik Pandya, who had emerged first and was sporting a Caribbean hat.
As he waved to hundreds of fans, star batsman Virat Kohli—whose hometown is Delhi—got some of the biggest applause.
“Watching India win a World Cup and come home is a dream of mine,” a shirtless fan with a Kohli tattoo across his chest remarked.
Later on Thursday, the team is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Subsequently, they will go to Mumbai for a victory parade in the center of India’s financial city.
Eventually, busses carrying them out of the airport were escorted by a lengthy line of police cars sounding their sirens.
After winning the Champions Trophy in 2013, India’s 11-year trophy drought in international cricket came to an end last weekend.
When Mahendra Singh Dhoni captained them in the 2011 50-over World Cup, they won their final World Cup match at home.
One supporter displayed a poster of Rahul Dravid, the coach. It said, “Thank you, Mr. Dependable.”
During the post-match celebrations, the players threw Dravid, 51, into the air, marking his farewell game in command.
Following the conclusion, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit, and captain Virat Kohli declared their retirement from Twenty20 international cricket.
As enthusiastic supporters watched their team’s return from the Caribbean, the special Air India charter was the “most tracked flight for much of the last 15 hours,” according to the plane tracking website Flightradar24.
