Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, had the honor of meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence in New Delhi for breakfast following their victory in the T20 World Cup 2024. The team arrived in the early hours of Thursday and rested at the ITC Maurya Hotel before the meeting. The players, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid, and Hardik Pandya, celebrated their triumph by cutting a special cake prepared by the hotel’s chefs.
Dressed in jerseys that read ‘India Champions’, they then proceeded to 7 Lok Kalyan Marg to meet with the Prime Minister. During the hour-long meeting, Modi congratulated the team and engaged in a candid conversation with the players. A picture was taken with the trophy, and the players, along with head coach Rahul Dravid, shared their experiences of winning the T20 World Cup. BCCI President Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah accompanied the players during the meeting.
Team India’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday was initially scheduled, but it had to be postponed due to the delayed departure of the players from Barbados caused by Hurricane Beryl. The hurricane resulted in significant travel disruptions, with none of the flights being able to land or take off from Barbados Airport due to heavy winds and rains.
The BCCI promptly organized a special Air India chartered flight to bring back Team India and the Indian media covering the tournament from Barbados. Upon their arrival at Delhi Airport, Team India was welcomed with cheers and chants by enthusiastic fans who had patiently waited outside Terminal 3 to catch a glimpse of the T20 World Cup champions.
Following the breakfast-cum-meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Team India players proceeded to Indira Gandhi International Airport from 7 Lok Kalyan Marg to catch a flight to Mumbai.
The Indian cricket team will conduct an Open Bus Victory Parade from Marine Drive to Wankhede Stadium, where they will display their hard-earned T20 World Cup trophy at the BCCI headquarters. A similar parade was held when MS Dhoni and his team emerged victorious in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 by defeating arch-rivals Pakistan in the Final.
This victory marked a historic moment for the entire nation as Team India secured the World Cup for the first time since 1983. The bus for the victory parade is all set and looks visually striking, serving as a fitting tribute to Team India for their T20 World Cup triumph.
In the meantime, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, and Yashasvi Jaiswal will depart for Zimbabwe after the celebrations to join the India squad. They are set to link up with the India squad prior to the third T20I of the three-match series at Harare Sports Club.