Mumbai, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Indian cricket fans showed up in huge numbers for a massive crowd at the Marine Drive here for an opportunity to see the T20 World Cup-winning side during the Victory Parade on an open-top bus. Following the successful conduct of the event, BCCI Honorary Secretary Jay Shah took to social media to thank the brilliant work done by the Mumbai Police in helping to carry out the momentous occasion.

“I extend my deepest respect and heartfelt gratitude to all the officers and staff of @MumbaiPolice and @CPMumbaiPolice for their exemplary performance during Team India’s Victory Parade. Your unwavering dedication, meticulous planning, and tireless efforts ensured the safety and smooth execution of the event. Your service to the nation is profoundly appreciated. Jai Hind!” read the post by Jay Shah on X.

Shah has been travelling with Team India and helped the winners, who were stuck in Barbados, charter a flight to New Delhi where the team stopped to have an interaction with the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, Jay Shah is not the only one to have acknowledged the great work done by the police force as Virat Kohli had earlier taken to Instagram to thank the forces.

"Deep respect and heartfelt thanks to all the officers and staff of @MumbaiPolice & @CPMumbaiPolice for doing a phenomenal job during Team India’s Victory Parade. Your dedication and service are highly appreciated. Jai Hind !” read the caption of the post by Virat Kohli on Instagram.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) BCCI secretary Jay Shah’s vision and support have played a huge role in Team India’s victory in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024. Following the team’s meeting with the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on Thursday, Jay Shah thanked PM Modi for his support.

“It was an absolute pleasure to meet and interact with the Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi Ji at his official residence upon our arrival from Barbados. Prime Minister Sir has stood by #TeamIndia through ups and downs and has always encouraged the team to give its best

irrespective of the result. We are glad that the World Cup victory has brought a wave of euphoria across the country and filled every Indian with a sense of pride,” read the post by Jay Shah on Instagram.

Shah played a pivotal part in helping the team reach the country after the Champions were left stranded in Barbados due to Hurricane Beryl. The squad, alongside the support staff and several Indian journalists, returned to the country in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Following their meeting with PM Modi, the team rushed to the airport and went to Mumbai for the open-top bus parade and the presentation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Suryakumar Yadav’s catch in the final over of the T20 World Cup final will go down the annals of Indian cricketing history as one of the seminal moments of the triumphant journey. During an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the team's triumphant return home, Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) revealed what had helped him keep calm in that situation.

“At that moment I did not think that I would catch it, I was thinking I’d push the ball in and save the boundary because the wind was also against me. Once I had the ball in my hand I thought I'd throw it the other side but Rohit bhai was too far at that time so I threw it in the air and caught it," he said.

“We have practised a lot for such situations as I think that I already do batting but where else can I contribute to the team,” said Yadav to the Hon’ble Prime Minister.

India needed to defend 16 runs in the last over thanks to a brilliant final few overs by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, who restricted the opposition to two and four runs in their respective overs. Hardik Pandya’s first ball might not have been exactly where he meant to throw it but a brilliant effort by Suryakumar at long off saw the departure of David Miller and helped India lift the trophy.

PM Modi also went on to ask if the team practices for catches so close to the boundary ropes 'where you may have to throw the ball in the air', to which Rahul Dravid revealed that Surya has taken ‘150-160 such catches in the practice.’

“Ever since I came from the IPL, I had taken many such catches but did not know God would give me the opportunity at such a time. The practice helped me in keeping calm at that point. The only difference was usually no one was sitting in the stands but there were quite a lot of people at that time,” joked SKY.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Talismanic batter Virat Kohli, who signed off from T20Is with a Player of the Match knock of 76 as India defeated South Africa by seven runs to win the T20 World Cup final, said the triumph in Barbados was something which was bound to happen for him and the team.

Kohli made these comments during the Indian team’s interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a breakfast meeting in New Delhi on Thursday. "Virat tell me, the battle this time was full of ups and downs," PM Narendra Modi asked the right-handed batter about his time in the tournament.

To this, Kohli replied, "Thank you for inviting us all here. This day, I will forever remember it. I was not able to contribute as much as I wanted to do. I told Rahul Dravid at one point that I was not able to do justice to myself and this team. He told me that he had the belief that I will deliver when the situation arises."

"I told Rohit Sharma also, when we walked out to bat (in the final), I was not very confident, but after the first delivery, I told Rohit 'What is this game? One day, you feel you won't even be able to score a run. And another day, you feel like it's all coming together'.

"Especially when wickets fell, I wanted to surrender myself to the team. I was in focus. I was in the zone. After that, I realised that whatever is meant to happen will happen. This (the triumph) was bound to happen for me and the team.”

"Even in the end, when the game headed towards a tense finish, we lived every ball. At one point, the hope was gone. After that Hardik Pandya took a wicket, and it changed and we came back with every passing delivery," said Kohli.

PM Modi highlighted that the support of people coupled with Kohli’s belief in himself, became a driving force at a crucial point. "Everybody was feeling it. You had scored 75 in total (before the final) and in the final (76). There is a reward when you have the backing of everyone. It becomes a driving force," he said.

Player of the tournament, fast-bowler Jasprit Bumrah talked about doing his bit to help the team in tough situations during the tournament. “Whenever I bowl for India, I bowl in very crucial stages. Whenever the situation is difficult, I have to bowl in that situation.”

“So I feel very good when I am able to help the team and if I am able to win the match from any difficult situation, then I get a lot of confidence and I carry that confidence forward as well. And especially in this tournament, there were many situations where I had to bowl tough overs and I was able to help the team and win the match,” he said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Rishabh Pant’s comeback from his career-threatening accident to winning the T20 World Cup has been nothing short of miraculous. He was one of the star attractions when the World Champions went to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon landing in India on Thursday. PM Modi spoke to Pant and asked him about his road to recovery and what was going through his head in what was perhaps one of the toughest challenges the left-handed wicketkeeper had to face.

“I want to start by thanking you so much for the invitation. My accident took place around 1-1.5 years back and I also remember that you called my mother when it had happened. There were a lot of things going through my mind at that point but when my mother told me you called and said ‘there won’t be any problem,’ that made me relax mentally,” said Pant to the Hon'ble PM Prime Minister.

Pant made his comeback during the 2024 IPL season where he valiantly led the Delhi Capitals side and went on to score 446 runs in 13 games while averaging 40.55 which earned him a spot in the squad for the World Cup. The mercurial left-hand batsman scored 171 runs in eight matches for the team and was solid behind the stumps in the T20 World Cup.

“During recovery, I used to keep hearing whether I would be able to play again or not. There was a lot of talk on whether I could do wicket-keeping again. So that was in my mind through the past two years. I used to think when I make a return to the field I will try to improve, not for anyone’s validation, but only to prove to myself that I can play international cricket and help India win,” added the Delhi Capitals captain.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) During the interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India skipper Rohit Sharma revealed that spin duo Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav suggested the distinctive walk at the podium to receive the T20 World Cup trophy to make the moment memorable.

When PM Modi mentioned Rohit's distinctive walk saying, "I noticed two extreme things in which I could see emotion. When you are going to collect the trophy..."

To which Rohit added, "It was such a huge moment for all of us. We all have been waiting for this for years. So, the boys told me 'Don't go just like that, do something different..."

The Prime Minister jokingly asked, "Was it Chahal's idea?". Rohit replied "Chahal and Kuldeep" with a laugh around the room.

Interestingly, Rohit Sharma's unique walk up to the podium is similar to the way Argentina legend Lionel Messi received the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) T20 World Cup-winning India all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Thursday put out a special video of him celebrating on the roof of the open-top bus, with a sea of cricket-loving fans cheering him, as it crawled through the Marine Drive here.

The video was taken during the victory parade organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to celebrate the Indian team's sensational triumph against South Africa in the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 at Bridgetown, Barbados last week.

In his emotional message accompanying the video, Pandya said that "all 1.4 billion of us" are champions. He thanked the cricket fans for the love and said the players do what they do to celebrate with the fans.

"India, you mean the world to me! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all the love.. these are moments that I will never ever forget! Thank you for coming out to celebrate with us, despite the rains| We love you so much!" wrote Pandya in his post on X, formerly Twitter.

"Celebrating with you is why we do what we do! We’re all champions! All 1.4 billion of us! Thank you Mumbai, thank you India," said Hardik Pandya, dancing with gay abundance on the bus while holding the trophy in his hand.

The all-rounder from Gujarat had an emotional breakdown after helping India win the T20 World Cup in Barbados. Pandya had endured a horrible last six months, retiring with an injury from the Men's ODI World Cup as Rohit Sharma's team went on and lost to Australia in the final and getting booed and abused by fans during the IPL as the Mumbai Indians removed Rohit Sharma and made him their captain.

To help India win the World Cup by bowling a brilliant final over and getting cheered by a bigger crowd at the Wankhede brought out the emotions again.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Cheered on by thousands of fans assembled inside the Wankhede Stadium and by the huge crowd that had turned the Marine Drive into a sea of people, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) felicitated the Champions as they returned home with the trophy. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the two elder statesmen of the Indian team, articulated the feelings of players to the scores of fans across the country when they told the huge gathering how happy and proud they were feeling after bringing the trophy back home.

"This trophy is for the entire nation, along with all the players that have represented the country," said India captain Rohit Sharma as he along with his teammates was accorded grand felicitations by a jam-packed Wankhede Stadium at a function organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday. The BCCI handed over to the team and the support staff a cheque of Rs 125 crore that it had announced as a reward for their victory.

"Since the time we have come to India, it has been wonderful. The reception we have got has been wonderful. The trophy belongs to everyone, to the players, the support staff, the BCCI officials, along with the people who have wanted us to win the World Cup, this trophy belongs to them," said Rohit as he expressed his emotions and his teammates at the Wankhede Stadium.

The stadium was packed to the rafters since 3 pm as they waited for the team to arrive from Delhi, travel from the Mumbai airport to Nariman Point for a victory parade over an open-top bus along the Marine Drive, crawling through a sea of humanity which delayed the function by a couple of hours.

Neither the players nor the waiting crowd was bothered by the delay despite first being roasted by the afternoon sun and then soaked by a drizzle. While the crowd cheered them on, the players ran into the crowd, danced along with the supporters, cheered each other, and thanked the fans as they expressed their delight at being able to watch the demigods.

"Bringing this World Cup to the country means a lot to us. We got a solid reception, along with BCCI and my teammates, I thank the fans for their support," said Rohit saying every World Cup triumph is different and the last three that have come during his career were each special in its own way.

"To bring the World Cup to the venue where India won the 2011 ODI World Cup is very special for us. I would not single out some particular players but all of them played their role in this victory," said Rohit, who hailed his teammates Suryakumar Yadav, for his sensational catch off David Miller in the final at Bridgetown, Barbados, and Hardik Pandya for bowling that final over that sealed victory for India. Rohit's praise for Hardik at the Wankhede was special considering the kind of things they had to face after the allrounder from Gujarat had replaced the local boy as captain of the IPL side Mumbai Indians.

Bumrah, once in a generation player, says Kohli

While Rohit Sharma had words of praise for Surya and Hardik, Virat Kohli, who like Rohit has announced his retirement from T20I cricket, expressed some special words for Jasprit Bumrah for how the pacer extricated the Indian team from difficult situations on several occasions during the World Cup.

He agreed that Bumrah should be declared a "national treasure" for the way he saved the team from difficult situations during the World Cup. Bumrah was declared the Player of the Tournament for his heroics and received a special round of applause from the crowd as Kohli urged them on.

"At one time I also felt that 'man is it going to slip away again'. But what happened in those five overs, two of which were bowled by Jasprit Bumrah was truly, truly special. What I would like everyone is to applaud a guy who brought us back into games, again and again in this tournament," said Kohli.

"We want him to continue playing for India as long as he can. He is once in a generation player," said Kohli of Bumrah. He also made a special mention of head coach Rahul Dravid and the support staff for helping and guiding the team to triumph.

Bumrah on his part said that having his toddler son along with him at the Kensington Oval made it special for him, laughing off suggestions that he may have to encounter a petition signed by a billion people urging him not to quit the game.

While there were numerous moments for the fans to score in their memory for eternity, three would find a place in everyone's favourite moments of the evening.

Top-most of those cherished moments will be when Rohit Sharma walked hand-in-hand with Virat Kohli to the crowd near the stands as if saying thanks on their behalf as they retire from the game's shortest format.

The second moment that will stay forever in people's minds will be Hardik Pandya getting cheered vociferously at the same ground where Mumbaikars booed him as captain of Mumbai Indians. And then there was the iconic moment of all the players dancing together as they went on a lap of honour around the stadium, reminding people of the similar scenes at the same venue in 2011 when Kohli was among those who lifted Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulder around the ground.

On Thursday, there were no such scenes even though the two oldest members of the team and the most loved ones were retiring from this format of the game. However, there was no doubt in the minds of the gathered about the yeomen service both of them have rendered to the country.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) India star batter Virat Kohli praised skipper Rohit Sharma for showing emotions on the field on the day India won the T20 World Cup 2024 at Bridgetown Barbados. "I have played with him for 15 years but have never seen Rohit show so much emotion on the field," said Kohli at the felicitation function organised by the BCCI at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

Kohli said winning the T20 World Cup 2024 was a special moment for him as he had not realised the gravity of the moment when he was part of M.S. Dhoni's team which won the 2011 ODI World Cup at this same venue. "I was 21-22 at that time and did not realise why the senior players were getting so emotional. After winning this World Cup, I have realised how special this is," said Kohli, who said he had instantly realised that it was time for him to say goodbye to the format and make way for youngsters.

It was Thursday evening, and the streets were alive with jubilation, for the Indian cricket team, fresh from their T20 World Cup triumph, was set to parade through Marine Drive.

As the open-top bus began its journey from the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), a sea of fans in blue jerseys stretched out along Marine Drive, chanting patriotic slogans. "Bharat Mata Ki Jai," "Jitega Bhai Jitega, India Jitega,” and "Vande Mataram" echoed through the evening air, mingling with the calls of street vendors and the honks of vehicles.

The sheer volume of people created a stampede-like situation at several points. Mumbai Police, however, had anticipated the fervour and had deployed a large number of personnel along the route, ensuring the safety of the crowd. Their vigilance paid off as they averted any major incidents, though a few people fell ill and had to be hospitalised.

A heartwarming moment emerged amidst the chaos, captured and shared by the Mumbai Police on X (formerly Twitter). As an ambulance made its way through the congested Marine Drive, the crowd, in a remarkable display of empathy and discipline, cleared a path. "Siren Bajta gaya, Rasta banta gaya," read the caption of the post by Mumbai Police, celebrating the spirit of the cricket fans.

As the bus inched closer to Wankhede Stadium, the epicentre of Mumbai cricket, the atmosphere grew denser with excitement. Policemen, both uniformed and in plain clothes, stood vigilant, frisking fans entering the stadium and maintaining order. The Western Railway, anticipating the rush, had announced extra services from Churchgate to Borivali to ease the commute for the fans, while more than 400 Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police personnel were stationed at Churchgate station.

However, the Central Railway's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus wasn't as fortunate, experiencing significant delays and adding to the chaos. Traffic snarled around Marine Drive and surrounding roads, with hundreds of vehicles at a standstill.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) The anticipation is palpable as the clock ticks down to the grand felicitation ceremony for Team India at Mumbai's iconic Wankhede Stadium, celebrating their triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados. A water salute was accorded to the Indian men's cricket team as it landed in the City on Thursday evening.

The Men in Blue, captained by the local hero Rohit Sharma, touched down in the Maximum City at 5:30 pm but the fervour among the fans had already reached fever pitch hours before their arrival.

Two Indian icons, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, were honoured by the airline Vistara. The call sign that has been assigned to the Indian team's Vistara flight as it travels from Delhi to Mumbai is what makes it unique. 'UK1845' is the call sign for India's flight from Delhi to Mumbai, and it represents Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's jersey numbers.

The Marine Drive area from Nariman Point to Wankhede Stadium is choc-e-block with thousands of people converging to the Fort area in Mumbai for the Victory Parade for the team for winning the T20 World Cup for the second time. It just looked like a sea of people that have brought the City that Never Sleeps to a standstill.

People had lined up the road as the bus carrying the team travelled through the Western Express Highway to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link on its way to Nariman Point in a convoy from where they would travel nearly 2km to reach the Wankhede where they would be felicitated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The gates of Wankhede Stadium, specifically Nos. 2, 3, and 4, were opened precisely at 4:00 PM on this memorable Thursday. The BCCI and the Maharashtra Cricket Association, in a gracious gesture, have made the entry free, inviting fans to partake in this historic celebration.

Chants of "Mumbai Cha Raja Rohit Sharma" reverberate through the stadium as a tribute to the hometown boy who led India to World Cup glory.

The atmosphere in the stadium is electric, with dhols beating in rhythm and fans waving the Tricolor, creating a vibrant mosaic of national pride and sporting euphoria. The felicitation ceremony which was earlier set to commence at 7:00 PM might get delayed to 8:00-8:30 pm.

"See you soon, Wankhede," said Hardik Pandya in a post on X, sharing it with a photograph of him holding the T20 World Cup trophy, beaming in delight. Mumbai is like a second home for Pandya as he made his IPL debut at the Wankhede in 2015 and led them in this year's edition.

The players will be taken for an open-top bus parade from Nariman Point to Wankhede stadium allowing the fans around the route to have a glimpse of the cricket stars with the iconic trophy, which India has won after a drought of more than a decade. This is India's second triumph in the T20 World Cup after M.S. Dhoni's team lifted the trophy in the inaugural edition in 2007.

Earlier on Thursday, the Indian team landed on home soil in the wee hours and was greeted by an enthusiastic Delhi crowd. The heroes' journey began with a jubilant cake-cutting ceremony at ITC Maurya in Delhi, followed by a special meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence before they left for Mumbai.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah gifted a special 'NAMO' India jersey to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after meeting him at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg on Thursday.

PM Modi hosted the Rohit Sharma-led T20 World Cup-winning team at his residence upon their arrival from Barbados.

The members of the Indian team including head coach Rahul Dravid had an interaction with PM Modi. The team also showed the T20 World Cup trophy to the Prime Minister.

"The triumphant Indian Cricket Team met with the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modiji, at his official residence today upon arrival. Sir, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to you for your inspiring words and the invaluable support you have provided to #TeamIndia," BCCI wrote on 'X' after the meeting with PM Modi.

Following their meeting with PM Modi, the Indian team has left for Mumbai where the BCCI has arranged a 1 km victory parade from Nariman Point to Wankhede Stadium, where a small felicitation ceremony will take place.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who was present in Barbados for the final against South Africa on Saturday, will distribute the Rs 125 crore cash prize to the Indian team for winning their first ICC trophy in over a decade.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Team India on Thursday expressed their gratitute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for hosting the T20 World Cup winners at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence here on Thursday.

PM Modi interacted with each member of the team and congratulated them for their stunning victory. BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah were also present on the occasion.

After the meeting, Virat Kohli took to Instagram to thank the Prime Minister for hosting the triumphant team, "What a great honour meeting our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji today @narendramodi. Thank you sir for inviting us to the Prime Minister's residence."

India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was accompanied by his wife Sanjana Ganesan and son Angad, also thanked PM Modi for his hospitality, "It was an honour to be invited to our honourable Prime Minister’s residence this morning. Thank you so much for your warmth and hospitality sir. @narendramodi"

Bunrah's wife added, "such an incredibly special morning".

The BCCI too hailed PM Modi's invaluable support to Team India. "The triumphant Indian Cricket Team met with the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modiji, at his official residence today upon arrival. Sir, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to you for your inspiring words and the invaluable support you have provided to #TeamIndia"

"Honoured to have met our esteemed Prime Minister, as World Champions," batter Suryakumar Yadav said.

Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal posted, "Humbled to meet honorable PM Shri Narendra Modi Sir along with the entire team. Thank you Sir for your encouraging words, means a lot to all of us"

Axar Patel also shared a picture with the Prime Minster and wrote "Honoured to present our World Cup win with the Prime Minister! This victory is for every Indian".

"Pleasure meeting the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modiji sir," said Rishabh Pant.

"Such a privilege to meet our honourable Prime Minister Shri

@narendramodi Ji. Thank you for hosting us sir," Hardik too followed his teammates in thanking PM Modi for hosting the champions.

Following the meeting with PM Modi, Team India will fly out to Mumbai where BCCI has arranged for a 1 km victory parade from Nariman Point to Wankhede followed by a small ceremony at Wankhede Stadium.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had a "memorable conversation" with India's T20 World Cup-winning squad and called it an "excellent meeting" to host the world champions at his residence in 7, Lok Kalyan Marg here on Thursday.

The Rohit Sharma-led squad visited the residence of the PM in the morning upon their return from Barbados. PM Modi shared the pictures of his meeting with the Indian team along with BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah on his 'X' account.

"An excellent meeting with our Champions! Hosted the World Cup winning team at 7, LKM and had a memorable conversation on their experiences through the tournament," Modi wrote on 'X'.

Notably, the PM had congratulated the Men in Blue for their World Cup title over a phone call after the final last Saturday. India defeated South Africa by seven runs in the pulsating blockbuster clash to lift their second T20 World Cup title after 2007.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Ahead of the historic victory progression of India's second T20 World Cup title in Mumbai, the special open-top bus is gearing up for the extravaganza evening in the city.

The champions will be driven around the city in a specially designed bus, making the occasion a visually spectacular and appropriate celebration of the team's victory. The team is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai in the afternoon following their meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in the morning.

The BCCI has arranged a road show for world champions in Mumbai from Nariman Point to Wankhede Stadium, where the team will be felicitated by the Indian board. The event is scheduled to start at 4 pm.

Mumbai Police have made stringent measures to ensure the safety and security of the spectators including traffic diversions on the route.

Earlier in the day, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team arrived in New Delhi via a special flight from Barbados after being stuck for days due to hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean.

The victorious squad received a rousing welcome from the home fans at the capital with the captain Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav showing their dance moves at the airport. The team assembled at ITC Maurya before leaving for the PM's residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.

India pipped South Africa in a nail-biting T20 World Cup final by seven runs to end their 11-year-long ICC title drought in Barbados last week.

India also lifted their first ICC trophy post legendary captain MS Dhoni's retirement in 2020. Notably, India won its last three ICC titles -- 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy-- under Dhoni's captaincy.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Waking up early in the morning can become even more daunting when the monsoon season is just around the corner. However, the atmosphere at the international arrival terminal of the IGI Airport was completely different at 5am on Thursday morning.

Braving the rain and sacrificing sleep, many passionate fans assembled to give a rousing reception to the triumphant Indian team, who emerged victorious in the T20 World Cup last week.

They set the perfect platform for a day where the team was felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before heading to Mumbai for an open parade and event at the Wankhede Stadium.

For nearly two and a half hours, the passionate fans, waving placards and national flags, created a lively atmosphere outside the terminal, eagerly awaiting a glimpse of the victorious Rohit Sharma-led team as they brought home a World Cup trophy after 13 long years.

"Last night at 11:30 pm, I saw the news that Team India is coming to Delhi on early Thursday morning. I started my car at 2am from my residence in Karnal, took my son and wife with me, and waited at the Delhi airport from 4am onwards," said a middle-aged cricket fan to IANS.

Gurpal, a devoted cricket enthusiast of over thirty years, proudly carried the Indian team flag and adorned the jersey with a gleam of excitement in his eyes. "We were waiting for this moment for a long time. We won the World Cup on June 29, but were waiting for when our champions would return home (delayed due to Hurricane Beryl).

"It is our absolute good fortune that the prayers made from the heart for the team to touch down in New Delhi have come true. Now that they have come here, we are just so fortunate to get the chance to see them," he said.

While the fans outside displayed patience, while eagerly expecting the team’s appearance and subsequent boarding of the two buses en route to the ITC Maurya hotel, reporters and camera persons positioned themselves unwaveringly outside the VIP exit gate, driven by their shared goal of capturing the finest photographs and footage of the victorious team's homecoming.

There has been a word that the non-stop 16-hour Air India special charter flight AIC24WC - Air India Champions 24 World Cup – which carried Indian team, support staff, their families, BCCI officials and traveling media contingent – has been the most searched flight on the Flight Radar24 app, which sums up the excitement in fans about the homecoming of Rohit & Co.

Word spread within the airport premises around 6:10am that the flight had touched down and the team would make their way out soon. At 6:45am, the activity of the police, airport, and CISF officials near the VIP exit gate intensified, accompanied by chants of ‘India, India’ from the fans outside.

Many individuals were observed camping in groups at the nearby international arrival buildings to witness the triumphant side, who were being officially received by the airport authorities and even took part in a ceremonial cake cutting.

First emerged the talismanic Virat Kohli, the Player of the Match in India’s seven-run win in the final over South Africa. When chants of his name went up, Kohli was quick to wave and give a thumbs up before taking his place in front of the bus.

Soon after, players came out in ones and twos - Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Siraj, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal and outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid waving towards the media persons, while Yuzvendra Chahal pointed towards his winner’s medal and then towards the reporters.

The moment captain Rohit Sharma appeared, triumphantly holding the trophy, pandemonium ensued. In an instant, security personnel whipped out their mobile phones, capturing the historic moment of Rohit effortlessly hoisting the trophy with one hand, while echoes of ‘Rohit, Rohit’ and ‘India, India’ filled the air.

The moment 7:07am arrived, the team buses began their journey to the hotel. Fans crowded the bus on both sides, their eyes searching for a glimpse of the players and support staff members. Both sides of the team buses were filled by a multitude of flashlights from phones of fans, held either in hand or mounted on tripods, created a bustling swarm of light.

The atmosphere was electrifying, with fans collectively cheering as Siraj proudly exhibited his winner’s medal from the window and Rohit triumphantly raised the trophy aloft from the bus. The Karnal-based cricket fan later said his long wait to see the Indian team was fruitful. "I saw Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and all the others members of the Indian team. My heart is delighted.”

Gurpal’s eyes filled with tears of joy as he saw Rohit, Kohli, Siraj, Dravid, and Rishabh Pant coming home with the trophy. He remembers believing that India was meant to win the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup title.

"I used to feel that though we missed out on winning 2023 ODI World Cup final, it may be in Dravid’s destiny to win the T20 World Cup trophy in the West Indies, where he didn’t get to sign off with the title as a player. Also, I thought that Virat Kohli should get the T20 World Cup trophy before getting any other titles and look at destiny, it finally happened that way.

Three female CISF officers thrilledly caught a glimpse of Kohli, Siraj, and Chahal. "We are used to seeing players come and ago via airport terminals, but this one feels very different due to winning the World Cup and we loved seeing them."

After the team bus departed, fans danced, sang, and took selfies until rain drove them to the parking bay for cover. Some were still processing the fact that they had the opportunity to witness the players and trophy firsthand, an experience that had eluded the nation for the past 13 years.

As the fans dispersed to their homes or workplaces, they carried with them a steadfast belief that this was just the beginning of India’s many World Cup triumphs. They eagerly expect future opportunities to celebrate, be joyful, and welcome their beloved players at the airport.

"We came just to catch a glimpse of the trophy, and the way Rohit Sharma held the trophy was a priceless moment, so as Mohammed Siraj’s reaction – and this is what we came for at the airport.

"We wanted to welcome the team in such a grand manner that they also feel the 140 crore Indian fans deserve to be celebrating the return of the trophy. Thank you so much Team India, keep winning trophies like this, and our support will always remain with you," said another cricket fan at the airport.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Mumbai Cricket Association has allowed free entry for fans at Wankhede Stadium for India's T20 World Cup victory parade on Thursday evening.

Upon landing in the capital on Thursday morning, Men in Blue assembled at a hotel before heading for a breakfast with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

After meeting with PM Modi, the team will leave for Mumbai from Delhi. The BCCI has arranged a 1 km victory parade from Nariman Point to Wankhede followed by a small ceremony at Wankhede Stadium.

Mumbai Police have advised commuters to avoid the route during the victory progression as traffic arrangements will be in place from 3 pm to 9 pm on Thursday.

"A grand victory parade is organised on July 4, 2024 for the Indian cricket team, winner of the T20 World Cup at Marine Drive. To avoid inconvenience to the commuters, following traffic arrangements will be in place from 3 pm to 9 pm today," Mumbai Traffic Police wrote on X.

Rohit Sharma-led Indian team landed at Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday morning after being stranded for days in Barbados due to hurricane Beryl-induced delay.

Coming back to the final, India defeated first-time finalist South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling T20 World Cup final in Barbados on Saturday.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team in his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence, here on Thursday.

PM Modi interacted with each member of the team and congratulated them for their stunning victory.

PM Modi was handed the trophy by Rohit Sharma and the entire team posed for the photo. BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah were also present on the occasion.

The Men in Blue will now return to the airport to board a special flight to Mumbai.

After reaching Mumbai airport, the team will move to the Wankhede Stadium. The BCCI has arranged for a 1 km victory parade from Nariman Point to Wankhede followed by a small ceremony at Wankhede Stadium.

It is at the iconic venue in Mumbai where BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who was present in Barbados for the final against South Africa on Saturday, will distribute the Rs 125 crore cash prize to the Indian team for winning their first ICC trophy in over a decade.

The Men in Blue were supposed to depart Barbados for New York on Monday morning before taking a connecting flight from Dubai for India a couple of days after winning the T20 World Cup for a second time.

However, the Indian cricketers were stuck on the island for three days due to Hurricane Beryl which swept through the Caribbean, and were only able to fly out of Barbados in the early hours of Wednesday via a charter flight named AIC24WC — Air India Champions 24 World Cup.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) IPL chairman Arun Dhumal on Thursday lavished praise on Team India for their T20 World Cup triumph, saying the Men in Blue "worked hard for this win".

India defeated South Africa by seven runs in a nail-biting thriller in the men’s T20 World Cup final last week, ending their 17-year wait for the country’s second T20 world title.

Moreover, the Rohit Sharma-led side ended their 11-year drought of a major title, since winning the 2013 Champions trophy.

"The way India played in the T20 World Cup was phenomenal. They worked really hard for it. Even, we had good run in the ODI World Cup as well throughout, unfortunately we lost one game. But now team is World Champion and we are all so proud of them," Arun Dhumal told IANS.

This is India's fourth World Cup title overall -- from Kapil Dev's team in 1983 to MS Dhoni's Young Guns in 2007 T20 WC and ODI champions in 2011.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) The T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team has reached Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence on Thursday.

PM Modi will host the Men in Blue for a breakfast.

Notably, the Prime Minister had congratulated the Men in Blue for their World Cup over a phone call after the final last Saturday.

Following the meeting, the team will depart for Mumbai, where BCCI has arranged a 1 km victory parade from Nariman Point to Wankhede for fans to get an up-close glimpse of their stars with the World Cup trophy.

Afterwards, the winning team will also be felicitated at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.

The Indian squad reached at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the early hours of Thursday.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Star India batter Virat Kohli celebrated the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph with his family members at hotel ITC Maurya in Delhi after the Indian cricket team touchdown in the country in the early hours of Thursday.

The Men in Blue received a hero’s welcome from enthusiastic fans who thronged the airport, eager to catch a glimpse of their champions.

The entire team was greeted with loud cheers outside the team hotel, where some members even danced to the beats of dhols after disembarking from the team bus at the hotel.

Local boy Kohli, who was the star of the final, celebrated the victory with his family as his sister Bhawna and brother Vikas arrived at the hotel to meet the champion.

Kohli, who was adjudged Player of the Match in the final for his match-winning knock of 76 off 59 balls, had much to celebrate. Heading into the final, the 35-year-old had not been in the best of forms, having scored just 75 runs in the first seven matches.

However, opening the innings for the first time in the tournament's history, Kohli rose to the occasion when the team needed him most. With India reeling at 34/3 in 4.3 overs, Kohli performed at his vintage best, guiding the team to a competitive total of 176/7 in their 20 overs.

South Africa, in reply, appeared to be cruising towards victory, needing just 30 runs off the last five overs. However, the Indian seamers turned the game on its head with their tight bowling, ultimately securing a seven-run victory and clinching their second T20 World Cup trophy.

The celebrations will be continued with a special meet-up scheduled with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 11 am on Thursday. Following the meeting, the team will depart for Mumbai, where BCCI has arranged a 1 km victory parade from Nariman Point to Wankhede for fans to get an up-close glimpse of their stars with the World Cup trophy.

Afterwards, the winning team will also be felicitated at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) India’s wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson shared a first glimpse of a special jersey designed to commemorate Team India's Men's T2O World Cup glory.

The Indian cricket team, led by Rohit Sharma, returned home to a hero’s welcome on Thursday aboard a specially-arranged charter flight. Thousands of jubilant fans gathered at the New Delhi airport, undeterred by the weather and security measures, to greet their champions.

The celebratory mood was palpable as the team flaunted the T20 World Cup trophy to the cheering crowd before heading to the ITC Maurya hotel.

In the photo shared by Samson on Instagram, the new jersey features a significant update: a second star on top of the BCCI logo, symbolising India's second T20 World Cup win. The jersey proudly displays the word "champions" emblazoned across the front, a bold reminder of their hard-fought victory.

The addition of the second star is a nod to India’s first T20 World Cup triumph under MS Dhoni’s captaincy in 2007, linking past and present in a fabric of triumph and perseverance.

After a brief rest at the hotel, the victorious 15-member squad, along with the Rahul Dravid-led support staff, are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

The meeting with the Prime Minister is set to be a momentous occasion, celebrating the team's achievement and honouring their dedication and skill on the global stage.

After the meeting, they will return to the airport to board a special flight to Mumbai.

After reaching Mumbai airport, the team will move to the Wankhede Stadium. The BCCI has arranged for a 1 km victory parade from Nariman Point to Wankhede followed by a small ceremony at Wankhede Stadium.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) The triumphant Indian cricket team returned home to a rousing reception on Thursday, as hundreds of fans braved the steady drizzle and heavy security outside the Indira Gandhi International Airport to welcome their heroes.

The team, fresh from their T20 World Cup victory in Bridgetown, arrived aboard a specially-arranged charter flight, marking the end of a journey that had been delayed by Hurricane Beryl in Barbados.

Despite the early hour and inclement weather, fans holding placards and waving the national flag lined up outside the airport, eager to catch a glimpse of their favorite players. "The wait of 11 years has ended, indeed the celebration will be high. I came from Laxmi Nagar and reached airport early morning at 5am just to see a glimpse of our skipper 'India ka Raja' Rohit Sharma and the team," said a fan at airport.

The team, unable to return home immediately after their victory due to the hurricane, had been cocooned in their hotel until the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) arranged for a special charter flight. The Air India flight, aptly named AIC24WC - Air India Champions 24 World Cup, left Barbados at 4:50 am local time on Wednesday and arrived in Delhi at 6 am (IST) on Thursday after a 16-hour non-stop journey.

Heavy security was in place at the airport to manage the crowd, but this did little to dampen the spirits of the fans who cheered enthusiastically, holding up posters of star batter Virat Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma, and outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid.

Two buses were stationed outside the T3 Terminal VIP gate to ferry the players to their hotel, from where they would head to the Prime Minister’s residence for a reception.

The players trickled out in ones and twos after completing immigration formalities, tired but excited. They acknowledged the waiting fans with waves and warm smiles. Suryakumar Yadav, who took the sensational match-winning catch of David Miller in the final, was the most enthusiastic in responding to the cheering. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant saluted the crowd, while pacer Mohammed Siraj blew flying kisses.

Rohit and Kohli, both of whom retired from T20Is at the end of India’s campaign, were among the last to come out of the VIP exit. Rohit, holding the coveted trophy, raised it for the fans to catch a glimpse before boarding the bus. Kohli gave a thumbs up to acknowledge the support before boarding a bus.

The victory, which ended an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy, has been hailed as a significant achievement for the team. India’s previous ICC title was in 2013 when it won the Champions Trophy under Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The team’s earlier World Cup titles came in 1983 (ODI), 2007 (T20), and 2011 (ODI).

After meeting the Prime Minister, the players are scheduled to fly to Mumbai to participate in an open bus victory parade followed by a felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah and Rohit had posted on social media on Wednesday, urging fans to turn up in large numbers to show their support for the team.

The celebrations in Mumbai are expected to be a special moment for the 37-year-old Rohit, a Mumbaikar and a huge fan favorite in the city. The road show will echo the grand celebration held 17 years ago when Dhoni's team had beaten arch-rivals Pakistan in the final of the inaugural 2007 World T20 in South Africa.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) A special cake representing the World Cup Trophy has been made for the Indian cricket team which will be cut at the side’s arrival in the hotel - ITC Maurya.

Delhi on Thursday witnessed history as several cricket fanatics came to the Airport in the wee hours to get a glimpse of the 2024 T20 World Champions as the team reached home after being stuck in Barbados due to a cyclone.

The Rohit Sharma-led side received a grand welcome upon their arrival, and why not, the undisputed champions deserve it.

The players, escorted by police and CISF officials, waved and smiled at their fans, who eagerly snapped photos and took distant selfies with their favourite stars.

Following their arrival, the team proceeded to their hotel before heading to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After the meeting, they will return to the airport to board a special flight to Mumbai.

After reaching Mumbai airport, the team will move to the Wankhede Stadium. The BCCI has arranged for a 1 km victory parade from Nariman Point to Wankhede followed by a small ceremony at Wankhede Stadium.

It is at the iconic venue in Mumbai where BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who was present in Barbados for the final against South Africa on Saturday, will distribute the Rs 125 crore cash prize to the Indian team for winning their first ICC trophy in over a decade.

The Men in Blue were supposed to depart Barbados for New York on Monday morning before taking a connecting flight from Dubai for India a couple of days after winning the T20 World Cup for a second time.

However, the Indian cricketers were stuck on the island for three days due to Hurricane Beryl which swept through the Caribbean, and were only able to fly out of Barbados in the early hours of Wednesday via a charter flight named AIC24WC — Air India Champions 24 World Cup.

Source: IANS

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ridgetown (Barbados), July 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) The World Cup-winning Indian team's departure from Barbados has further been delayed and now is expected to land in New Delhi on Thursday morning 6 am (IST).

"The Indian team's special flight from Barbados should tentatively land in New Delhi on Thursday 6 am," sources said.

The T20 World Cup-winning squad, accompanied by its support staff, several BCCI officials, and the players' families, have been stranded in Barbados due to the impact of Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall on the island on Sunday evening.

The World Cup winning team was originally scheduled to depart from Barbados on Monday at 11 AM local time (8:30 PM IST) but their depature was delayed due to Hurricane Beryl, that intensified from category 3 to 5.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) After India beat South Africa to lift the T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados, ending their 11-year wait for an ICC trophy, outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid delivered an inspiring yet emotional speech in the dressing room.

Dravid praised his players and their fighting spirit, which was on display during the final against South Africa, and said players may forget their career stats, but "moments like this will stay with them forever."

"I am really short of words, but all I wanted to say is thank you to everyone for making me a part of what is an incredible memory. All of you will remember these moments. It's not about the runs and wickets; you will never remember your career but you will remember moments like this. I could not be more proud of you guys, to comeback the way you did, the way you fought, the way we worked as a team, the resilience...," said Dravid in a video posted by BCCI on X.

Dravid, who was under the scanner for losing two consecutive ICC finals, the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup against Australia last year, delivered in his last assignment to break the more than decade-long title drought for India.

The legendary cricketer took over from Ravi Shastri in November 2021. His initial term was for two years, but he was handed a six-month extension as BCCI wanted him to continue until the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.

The 51-year-old further thanked Rohit Sharma for making him to stay with the team after his contract was set to expire after the 2023 ODI World Cup.

"Ro (Rohit Sharma) thank you for making that call for me in November and asking me to continue. It has been a privilege and pleasure to work with each and every one of you. Also to Ro, I know as a captain and coach there was a lot of time we had a chat, we had to discuss... we had to agree and to disagree at times, but thank you so very much. It's brilliant to know each one of you as a person," said Dravid.

Under Dravid's leadership, India reached the finals of both the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup last year, but the elusive trophy remained out of their grasp.

"There have been disappointments over the years where we have come close; we have never been able to cross the line. But what this bunch of boys has done, what all of you have done, what everyone in the support staff has done, the hard work that we have put in, the sacrifices that we have made... I think the whole country is really proud of each and every one of you and what you have achieved," he added.

"There are so many sacrifices that each and every one of you make to see your family here enjoying... Just think of all the sacrifices that each one of them has made since the time you were kids for you to be here in this dressing room. Your parents, your wives, your children, your brother, coaches, so many people have made so many sacrifices and worked so hard with you to enjoy this memory at this moment," Dravid continued.

As a player, Dravid never secured a World Cup trophy. During his captaincy, India was eliminated in the first round of the 2007 ODI World Cup. But after 17 years he did it as a coach. "Really proud to have been a part of this memory with you guys... Just t be a part of this, I could not be more grateful. I am thankful for the respect... kindness, and efforts that each and every one of you has shown to me and my coaching staff.

"It's your moment guys... Remember, it's not about any individual, it's about a team. We won this as a team. We did everything that we did in the last month as a team. Its about all of us, not about any individual," he concluded.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) T20 World Cup-winning Indian team is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi after returning from Barbados, say sources.

Team India, stranded in Barbados for the past two days due to Hurricane Beryl, is expected to fly back home from Barbados on Tuesday evening (local time) and will land in Delhi on Wednesday evening (IST).

"India cricket team likely to meet PM Modi late on Wedesday evening or Thursday morning, after returning from Barbados," a source said.

Earlier, PM Modi spoke to the winning team over a phone call right after their victory and congratulated them for their triumph. He congratulated Rohit Sharma for his splendid captaincy and appreciated his T20 career also lauded talismanic batter Virat Kohli for his 76-run innings in the final as well as contribution to Indian cricket along with coach Rahul Dravid for his valuable contribution.

On Saturday night in Barbados, India clinched its second T20 World Cup title. The only other time the Men in Blue had won the showpiece event was in 2007, the inaugural edition of the mega event.

This victory also marked India's first ICC trophy in 11 years, since their Champions Trophy triumph in 2013.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) The T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team expected to fly home on Tuesday evening (local time) from Barbados and will land in Delhi on Wednesday evening (IST), say sources.

The World Cup winning team, originally scheduled to depart from Barbados on Monday at 11 AM local time (8:30 PM IST), have been stranded in Barbados for the past two days due to Hurricane Beryl, which resulted in airports and businesses shut down.

The hurricane, which has tensified into an extremely dangerous Category 4 in the past hours, has sparked warnings of life-threatening winds and dangerous storm.

According to latest report from the National Hurricane Centre of US, Beryl, a hurricane which was upgraded to a category four on Monday, has intensified to a category 5 storm after making landfall in the Windward Islands as it churned towards Jamaica.

The hurricane was upgraded to a category four on Monday, bringing life-threatening winds and storm lashed Barbados and nearby islands.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) When Anrich Nortje’s heave off Arshdeep Singh on the last ball of South Africa’s innings went to the mid-wicket fielder for a single, Rohit Sharma fell flat, with his face towards the ground and punching the grass with his hand. Hardik Pandya went down on his knees and began to tear up once the inevitable -– of India winning the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup -- was confirmed a little after 2 pm at the Kensington Oval.

Soon after, the entire Indian team, and support staff running in from the dugout began the jumping and hugging of lifting a major trophy after 11 years. A full 13 years after the magical night of April 2, 2011, at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to lift the ODI World Cup and 17 years since the unprecedented evening of winning the T20 World Cup in 2007, India got to experience that feeling all over again on June 29, 2024.

The skies, which were supposed to rain during the final amidst a hurricane warning, opened and made one feel as if the weather Gods were waiting for a billion dreams and prayers to be fulfilled. Cheeks welled down the eyes of adults like Rohit, Pandya, and Virat Kohli, who broke down, as years of heartbreaks when it mattered the most finally on previous occasions made way for ultimate glory.

The theme song of this T20 World Cup was all about experiencing a moment their souls had been waiting for. It was very fitting that India got to revel in the ‘out of this world’ feeling at the end of the competition. Back home, the party began on the streets of every city and town.

India Gate in New Delhi – the hometown of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant - was choc-a-bloc, with thousands of people coming out and unfurling flags as well as smoke guns -– some even stood atop the police van to dance and sing over the T20 World Cup coming home. The chants ranged from, ‘India, India, India’, to ‘Jeet Gaya bhai Jeet Gaya, India World Cup jeet gaya’, ‘Humara captain kaisa ho, Rohit bhai jaisa ho’, ‘Surya, Surya, Surya’.

There were some grateful people who thanked God by saying, ‘Zor se bolo jai mata di’. In Mumbai, the residences of Rohit, Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav -- it was a sea of utter jubilation filled with fans coming out in large numbers to celebrate the triumph.

In Mumbai’s local trains, people glued to their mobiles clapped in unison, while a sangeeth ceremony turned into a World Cup win celebration party. Similar scenes of ecstatic frenzy came from the streets of Ahmedabad, Nadiad, and Hyderabad – hometowns of Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, and Mohammed Siraj respectively.

“Everybody was elated and they just started jumping and shouting that 'at last, we have got the World Cup back. The celebrations from the 2007 World Cup triumph in Johannesburg after Joginder Sharma’s last over was done were just going on through my mind when Hardik Pandya bowled the final over,” says Lalchand Rajput, the manager in India’s 2007 T20 World Cup triumph, to IANS from Mumbai.

You couldn’t fault the Indian fans for getting that sinking feeling in their mind and heart when 30 runs were needed for South Africa to win off 30 deliveries. An on-song Heinrich Klaasen took 24 runs off the last over off Axar Patel. The win predictors gave India just a 3% chance to win the final, making a South African victory a foregone conclusion.

The Indian fans, mainly Gen Z fans, had their heart rate racing with the feeling that the trophy may be missed again. A tiny part of them had the belief of the side conjuring up a miracle outta nowhere – remember how on a shining afternoon in New York, they defended 119 against Pakistan on a tough pitch?

Once Pandya took out Heinrich Klaasen, Bumrah took out Marco Jansen and Suryakumar Yadav took a ‘hang-it-in-the-louvre’ catch for ages of David Miller, it began to hit home that a World Cup win for India wasn’t far after years and years of heartbreaks and that emotion of winning a big final is something they will carry for the rest of their lives.

Seeing adults –- highly-revered professional cricketers -- cry and roar in ecstasy on realising the pure joy of winning the World Cup and becoming champions, it was a pure feeling and emotion which had the entire country tear up and be happy in the happiness of their idols.

“Somewhere down the line, I had this feeling that ‘Yeah, it is ours’. So, I was very assured that India is going to win. I knew it. There was no tension. Firecrackers were burst, and people were going crazy, driving rickshaws around the colony, and blaring music. My aged father-in-law and my wife were discussing cricket till 4 a.m., and they didn't let me sleep,” recalled Biju George, the Delhi Capitals’ fielding coach, to IANS from Thiruvananthapuram.

For many years, despite the riches and vastness of domestic structure, a major trophy eluded Indian cricket, raising questions over its ability to cross the final hurdle. Off the field, toxic fan wars, and trolling of certain players based on their religion made things horrible.

It became worse when Pandya’s incessant trolling in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 didn’t have a full stop. On social media, when cricket, IPL, and T20 World Cup action dominated headlines in posts and reels, other issues related to the common man in India also grabbed headlines. But June 29, 2024, united the entire India with an electric and genuine feeling of nothing in the country bringing people together like cricket does.

“At least cricket is one unifying force in India where we are not divided. You don't say things like you are a Muslim or a Hindu or a Christian. We are cricketers basically, and at least that is one thing which politics has been kept away from,” adds George.

It's already two days since the triumph was achieved at Barbados and people in the country haven’t stopped talking about the win, the runs from Kohli, Axar, and Shivam Dube. They don’t feel tired of talking about how Bumrah, Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh kept their calm in the last five overs. They can’t get over how Suryakumar unleashed the Superman and Ballerina in him to take a catch for ages.

Every time they open social media, pictures captioned with ‘woke up as world champions’, and ‘this feels so good’ gladden their feed. Algorithms are buzzing with reels of Rohit doing Ric Flair strut to lift the title, players walking with trophy aloft, Virat and Arshdeep doing bhangra while sharing this special moment with their families in person or virtually come up, reminding fans of the feeling they forgot to cherish in these 13 years.

For the next few days, months, and years, the glory moment and on-field celebrations thereafter will be played on a loop on television sets in India and social media plus YouTube screens.

Whenever it pops up, everything else will be forgotten as fans get their minds, hearts, and souls drawn to that winning emotion, serving as a sweet reminder that cricket and emotions are a great unifying force in India, which anything else can’t ever come close to replicating it in this part of the world.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) As fans and the cricket ecosystem in India continue to revel in the joy of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 victory, they are also coming to terms with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja announcing their retirements from the format on a high.

Shortly after India edged South Africa by seven runs to clinch its second T20 World Cup title at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday and ended a 13-year drought for a global championship title, Kohli and Rohit bowed out from the format, with Jadeja following the same route on Sunday.

Both Rohit and Virat had been the fulcrum of the Indian batting line-up for more than a decade while Jadeja was the dependable spin-bowling all-rounder. The trio’s quick retirements give India the room to try out players and see who the best picks for a solid combination for the 2026 T20 World Cup are, which they are supposed to co-host alongside Sri Lanka.

But the riches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and a robust domestic system mean India do have a good pool of T20 players to see who can fill in the huge shoes of Rohit, Virat, and Jadeja. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was a part of the World Cup-winning unit at Barbados, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Abhishek Sharma are the next in line opening options.

All four players are a part of India’s squad for the five-match T20I tour of Zimbabwe happening from July 6-14. India also has a T20I series against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa, and England till February 2025, which gives the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee ample room to try out various combinations and other players in the fray.

“If you look at the side which will be touring Zimbabwe, there is a lot of talent there. From Shubham Gill to Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Sanju Samson. So, the Indian team is going to dominate well.”

“Plus, there will be a lot of retirements around world cricket post this World Cup, and India will be the least affected. So, we are going to dominate, as for next 5-6 years, there will be no competition,” Biju George, the former India women’s fielding coach, told IANS.

Lalchand Rajput, the manager of the youthful Indian side that won the 2007 T20 World Cup in Johannesburg, told the IANS that youngsters are there to grab the vacant spots in the team but felt it will take time for them to grow into their vast shoes in the playing eleven.

“There will be challenges because you have lost the top three guys in Rohit, Virat, and Jadeja. But there will be somebody who will take up the challenge to fill in for them because we have got a lot of youngsters who are coming up.”

“We have people like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shubman Gill at the sidelines, who have to take the mantle forward. It will be difficult for anyone to fill their shoes immediately. But I am sure that over a period of time, definitely there will be some new players who would fill in for those three.”

In all probability, Jadeja’s retirement from T20Is means Axar Patel becomes the lead spin-bowling all-rounder in the side. In the T20 World Cup, Axar had outperformed Jadeja with bat, ball, and in the field to show that he’s now good enough to be an automatic starter in the format for India after lots of years of being an understudy to the veteran.

“With Jadeja retiring, Axar will get an extended run in the format. Some of the other left-hand spinners should also come through. It is high time now. Those three have been there and they have done it. Let them enjoy playing the rest of the time in cricket - IPL or other formats. I wish they play domestic cricket a little more,” concluded George, who’s the fielding coach for Delhi Capitals in IPL and WPL.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Shortly after winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 as the Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is. A few minutes before that, Virat Kohli also called it quits from the format after winning the 'Player-of-the-Match Award' for his 59-ball 76, with Ravindra Jadeja following their direction on Sunday.

Rohit signs off from the format as two-time World Cup-winner and the leading run-getter -– amassing 4231 runs in 159 matches, including five hitting centuries, the most by a men’s T20I batter. Biju George, the former India women’s fielding coach, feels it will be very hard for anyone who fills in Rohit’s shoes in T20Is.

“It will be very hard because people like Rohit Sharma are a throwback to the time of cricket when it was all about art. Now it's like 99% science. Even what you drink and eat is measured by the scientists, as well as how you train.”

“But Rohit Sharma is a throwback to playing elegant cricket with all its glory and flaws. He doesn't look super fit, but he takes amazing catches. He doesn't look like he can move quickly, but he's lightning-fast on the field. He looks very soft, but he's a toughie. He's the best guy, and we'll certainly miss him,” said George to IANS.

Shortly after the T20 World Cup triumph, Kohli was adjudged and said this was his last T20I game. Kohli ends his T20I career as India's second-highest run-scorer in the format, through 4188 runs in 125 games at an average of 48.69 and strike rate of 137.04.

“There were a lot of people criticising him on social media when he was batting at almost 28-30 runs and many said he was going to lose us the match. But they don't know what this guy is. This guy is the best-ever cricketer India has produced in white-ball cricket.”

“So nobody can compare with Virat Kohli. You can see the stats, and how he goes about it, and he gives you amazing energy on the field. He drives the team, and will also be certainly missed,” added George, the Delhi Capitals’ fielding coach in IPL and WPL.

Fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was the standout performer for India in the competition, and was adjudged Player of the Tournament for picking 15 wickets at an average of just 8.26, and a remarkable economy rate of 4.17.

“I thought he (Bumrah) should have been the Man of the Match. Virat Kohli is always the perennial favourite like scoring runs in tough situations. But it's the bowlers who win you the match, especially when the scores are low. Even if he doesn't bowl a single ball in white-ball cricket, Bumrah is a legend forever.”

“If he decides I'm not going to play any more white-ball cricket, it would be fair enough. Nobody will ever be able to beat what he has done. Not in a qualitative manner, like maybe somebody will go around and take more wickets. But the thing is, the way he gets the wickets and the times he gets his wickets, as well as of dismissing the top batters all the time, that can’t be matched,” added George.

The T20 World Cup triumph was also sweet redemption for vice-captain Hardik Pandya, who was ruled out mid-way through the 2023 ODI World Cup campaign due to an ankle injury. He was then mercilessly booed by crowds during IPL 2024 matches, which coincided with his lacklustre all-round and leadership returns for Mumbai Indians.

But Pandya bounced back with aplomb to play a crucial role in India's T20 World Cup win - scoring 144 runs at an average of 48 while picking 11 wickets with the ball, and defending 16 runs in the all-important final over to seal an Indian victory.

“In IPL, he was carrying a millstone around his neck - the captaincy of Mumbai Indians. When Rohit was removed or dumped and Hardik was bought in, the crowd turned against him. That weight of that heavy money transfer, everything was on his shoulder. But when playing for India, he is a cricketer who is enjoying his trade. In the national set-up, he is not someone trying to prove that I am a good captain.”

“He is a cricketer doing what he wants to do and knows that he has got another 10 superheroes around him. In Mumbai Indians, if he fails, he has to face the owners, the public, and everybody and could be called from X, Y, Z to whatnot. But in the Indian team, he had the license and backing to do whatever he wanted to do and mainly, what only he can do,” added George.

He was also elated over Rahul Dravid finishing his coaching stint with a trophy. “I wish that he won all the Cups because he is such a nice person. I have interacted with him a lot, over a period of time, and he’s a very reassuring and amazing guy - as a player, gentleman, human, and coach. So, very, very happy for him. His sons will ask him down the line, ‘Papa, what you have done as a coach’? Now he can tell him that I won the World Cup too.”

George signed off by saying the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph will result in the resurgence of Indian cricket. “Like, it started in 1983, then Dhoni gave us those cups in 2007 and 2011, and now this is as good as it gets. It's also a befitting farewell for Rohit, Virat, Jadeja, and Dravid, and I was just really happy to see the team come together to win the title.”

“This team’s evolution can be directly related to IPL - like most of the Indian cricketers are exposed to the latest training methods, and trends in T20 cricket. They know inside and out how an opposing player from Bangladesh to West Indies to South Africa will react under a particular scenario. Luckily, we played on wickets which were almost like we were used to playing in India. Also, the strategy and captaincy of Rohit was brilliant.”

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former India captain Virat Kohli on Monday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his encouraging words for him when the PM called the Indian team following its triumph in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday night.

Prime Minister Modi spoke over the phone with all members of the Indian team that defeated South Africa by seven runs, talking them up for the roles they played in the country winning their second T20 World Cup title. Virat Kohli top-scored with 76 as India scored 176/7 in 20 overs and then restricted South Africa to 169/8. Soon after India's triumph, Kohli announced his retirement from T20I cricket.

Kohli took to social media to thank Prime Minister Modi for his encouraging words.

"Dear @narendramodi sir, thank you so much for your very kind words and your support and encouragement always. It has been a privilege to be a part of this team that has brought the cup home. We are deeply touched & overwhelmed with the happiness it has brought the entire nation," said Kohli in his post on X, formerly Twitter.

PM Modi praised Kohli for his crucial knock in the final.

"Dear @imVkohli, Glad to have spoken to you. Like the innings in the final, you have anchored Indian batting splendidly. You’ve shone in all forms of the game. T20 Cricket will miss you but I am confident you’ll continue to motivate the new generation of players," Modi said in a post on his official handle on X.

Though Kohli has had a disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup he came good when it mattered most -- in the final. He scored 76 off 59 balls, studded with six fours and two sixes as he anchored the Indian innings after skipper Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav were out in quick succession as India were reduced to 34/3 in the fifth over.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) When David Miller heaved a Hardik Pandya full toss through the line off the toe-end on the first ball of the final over, many felt it would clear long-off for six and get the equation marginally in South Africa’s favour in their quest to win 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. But Suryakumar Yadav had other ideas -- racing like a sprinter to long-off, lobbed the ball over the rope as he went in and came back to regain his balance in a split second to complete an astonishing catch, which left many around the world having their jaws down on the floor.

When India eventually won the trophy and Suryakumar was awarded the ‘Best Fielder’ medal in the dressing room, that catch he took off Miller would join the folklore like Kapil Dev running 20 yards to grab the match-turning catch of Viv Richards in the 1983 ODI World Cup final off Yashpal Sharma’s bowling and of Sreesanth taking the grab at short fine-leg to dismiss Misbah-ul Haq as India sealed 2007 T20 World Cup win.

Suryakumar’s jaw-dropping catch to send back Miller in just five seconds left Biju George, the Delhi Capitals’ fielding coach, in awe of it. “When that Suryakumar catch was unfolding, I thought of Jemimah Rodrigues a lot, as she also does this sort of stuff a lot. I worked with Surya in 2015 and 2016 when I was with the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise.”

“Plus, if you look at it, we have one of the better fielding sides in world cricket, thanks to the level of fitness which has gone up so much. Pulling off that catch in a pressure situation, Surya will always do that. If you want a guy to take that catch, and more importantly, if I want somebody to catch for my life, it will be Surya,” said George to IANS.

In the World Cup, Suryakumar, along with Virat Kohli, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja were seen manning the areas near the boundary ropes, which meant they would get the ball maximum times in the deep. George also credited captain Rohit Sharma and fielding coach T Dilip for ensuring the correct placement of players in various fielding positions.

“The main thing which people need to see is, in every team, we will have fielders. You will also have comrades of people who are very good fielders. At the same time, there will be some average fielders too and we too carry them. For example, Kuldeep, Arshdeep, or Bumrah won't be like rocket fielders,” he said.

“But as a captain one has to make sure that the ball goes to the best fielder, like Axar or Surya. The catch of Miller that went to Surya, had it been a Bumrah or a Kuldeep there, you would never know what would happen. So, a lot of credit should go to Rohit for his captaincy as far as field placing is concerned,” he added.

“There is a lot of credit that should go to T. Dilip, the fielding coach. He is a hard worker and I have known him for over a long period of time. He gets things done and his players trust him. So, he is getting the best results out of them for the team,” he concluded.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) June 29, 2024 will be forever remembered as the day India ended its 13-year drought of a World Cup win when the Rohit Sharma-led side beat South Africa by seven runs to lift the Men’s T20 World Cup at the Kensington Oval.

A young Rohit was a member of the 2007 T20 World Cup winning side in South Africa and Saturday’s triumph at Barbados saw him lift the trophy and sign off from the format as the leader of the pack.

Through its attacking batting template and bowlers clicking in unison coupled with sufficient depth, India now holds the distinction of being the first team to win the T20 World Cup without losing a single match through the competition.

Lalchand Rajput, the manager of the Indian team winning 2007 T20 World Cup, speaks exclusively to IANS on the 2024 triumphant campaign, the legacy which Rohit and Virat Kohli leave behind, as well as Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya playing major roles in the victorious run, and more.

Excerpts:

Q. What are your immediate thoughts around this T20 World Cup triumph & what does this mean for Indian cricket?

A. Everybody is very excited and we have got the cup again after a long time, so it's very exciting. The first time we won in 2007, it meant a lot. The IPL started after that, and we can see that through the IPL, a lot of players are playing T20s. We are getting a very good bench strength. If you look at our team, we can have two or three teams together because the talent is so much. So, this World Cup win definitely inspires young players to take up this game more.

Q. Rohit Sharma was a member of the team which won the 2007 edition and now he’s the winning captain in 2024. How do you see this legacy of him ending the trophy drought for India and now calling it quits from the format?

A. It's been a long journey for Rohit. To be very honest, he was talented and that's why we picked him in 2007. He played a good inning in the final as well, where he got upto 30 and got to taste the win of a World Cup. So, this time, he wanted to win very badly as a captain and for which he got his reward. The brand of cricket he played, that was very important.

He made the team to believe in themselves, and to play in a template where they can express themselves. It was phenomenal to see that the hunger to win was there, not only in one or two guys, but it was present in the whole team. He has left a very big legacy in T20Is, and to be very honest, it will be defined by the brand of cricket he played.

Even in last year’s ODI World Cup, the way he used to give start to the team all the time and take on the best bowlers, that legacy of him will always be there. It will be difficult for someone to fill in the shoes of someone as huge as him in the near future. But definitely, over a period of time, there might be a new person to fill in for Rohit.

Q. Virat Kohli has also played his last T20I for India, which he ends as a player of the match in the final. A word on him and his impact in the shortest format for India.

A. He never had a good tournament, to be very honest, except the final. And people started talking about his strike rate, whether he should be there in the team and everything. But he’s one of the best players we ever had. He is a great cricketer, and if you look at the Indian team, the resurgence of it was done by him when he was the captain.

He always likes to win, and is a big occasion player. When there is a big platform, he performs. Rightly on the final day when India needed the most, after we lost two-three wickets, he stood like a solid rock, and made sure that the team reached a decent score. The par score was 160, but we had just 10-15 runs more than it and that made the difference of winning the championship.

Q. Jasprit Bumrah has had a dream time in this competition to be Player of the Tournament. How do you assess his wonderful campaign?

A. He is a world-class bowler and whenever Bumrah is in the team, the captain is relaxed because he can use him anytime - in the first power play, middle overs, and the death overs. When you need a wicket, the captain can call him and he obliges by taking the wicket. In the final, the equation read as 30 runs off 30 balls.

When he came back in the final, he got a wicket in his final over and that put the pressure on the other batters. He makes such a difference in the game, which is why he became the player of the tournament. Bumrah is a lethal weapon for any captain who gets a player like him in his team.

If he had played in the 2022 Adelaide semi-final, it would not have been the same story. We missed him very badly last time in the World Cup due to injury. But this time Bumrah made a huge difference. I know everybody has contributed to the team’s cause. But Bumrah is a special person in the team who delivers impactful performances on special occasions.

When you need a wicket very badly, he will come and give you that breakthrough. If there's a partnership to break, call Bumrah and he will get it. If they need 10 runs, call Bumrah and he will give 6 runs. He can bowl good yorkers, short balls and mixes up his bowling to be a lethal wicket-taker.

You can also see that when Bumrah was playing alongside Arshdeep Singh, the youngster became a very changed bowler. So, he really motivates the other bowlers, as he and Arshdeep hunted in pairs as a bowling partnership.

When Bumrah bowls well, he makes sure that the other bowler also bowls well. He talks to them, gives them his ideas on what to bowl, what the batter is doing, and what you should bowl on this type of wicket, and he’s simply the icon of bowling.

Q. Another interesting narrative has been Hardik Pandya performing his all-rounder roles with aplomb after a lacklustre IPL. What does this tell about his mindset of coming good at a big event?

A. Pandya’s performance shows the character of him as a player because he was going through a lot of problems during the IPL and in his personal life as well. He never had a good tournament. But to step up in a World Cup, especially in the final, and to take that responsibility or onus to bowl the last over and make India win because it could have been anybody's game, that speaks for itself.

See, nowadays, making 15-16 in the last over is not that difficult. But he bowled really well and that shows the character of that person. It also means that Hardik is a very, very strong-headed person.

Q. Axar Patel and Shivam Dube also played vital roles with the bat in the final. A word on their quick contributions in the title clash.

A. Axar was sent up to take on the left-arm spinners Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj. His 47 runs were very, very crucial because at that time, the spinners were bowling and then we had lost two wickets, but Virat was at the other end. He had to take that initiative and a match-up against a left-arm spinner made a big difference in the team's total as well.

Shivam Dube has always been a very good striker of the ball, and we have seen him in the IPL, against spinners, he murders them with his big-hitting and then against fast bowlers, he takes them on. His quick-fire 27 was the difference in India getting 150-160 and making 177.

Q. How heartwarming was it to see Rahul Dravid sign off from his coaching stint on a high?

A. Every coach would like to go out on a high and we all know Rahul Dravid, how he's very dedicated as a player and person. When he played, he was the wall of Indian cricket. Now as a coach, he has been around for so many years and narrowly missed the 50-over World Cup.

So, this triumph was a big thing that he achieved in his last game as a coach. I think God has been very, very kind to him that the players gave him a very good gift, and it could not be much better than winning the World Cup.

Q. When the equation came down to 30 runs off 30 balls to decide the winner, what was going through your mind?

A. With South Africa having that tag of chokers around, I felt if big wickets fall in the last five overs, it will be over for them, and that's what happened. India had been in that place for a number of years, but for South Africa, it was the first time they were in the finals, and had that tag of faltering at a crucial time.

In cricket, getting 30 runs in 30 balls with five or six wickets in hand is easy. After Klaassen and Jansen wickets, it felt over for South Africa. After Bumrah took out Jansen in that excellent over, Arshdeep’s 19th over was really crucial and people forget about that. If he had given 15-20 runs, then the match would have gone.

Also, in the last over, David Miller was one who could get 20 runs in one over. But catches win you big games in the World Cup, and Suryakumar showed a very good presence of mind running in because he was getting his balance outside the boundary line. But he had the presence of mind to make sure that he threw the ball up, came back in and caught it, which further became the difference in winning and losing.

Q. Seeing the jubilant scenes in Barbados must have reminded you of similar scenes at Johannesburg in 2007. Can you talk about experiencing that winning feeling in 2007?

A. I think you cannot describe that feeling to be very honest, because when you think of it, you get goosebumps. It was a very special feeling. First time we were playing the T20s. No one had much experience of playing T20. Now, every team has been playing for the last 17 years – T20s and IPL.

So they all have got the experience, but at that time, getting into a tournament for the first time, never had any match before and just one game before that World Cup. To then be winning the tournament was a dream come true for all of us. Again, it was a close game, and here also, it was a close game because in T20s, either you win very convincingly or otherwise it will be a close game. So, it really tests your nerves as well.

That time you feel that we have conquered the world. There is no one there now and we are on top of the world. That feeling of winning the World Cup, cannot be described in any way and its’ something different. When you win that, you do something which you have not seen before as you are over the moon at that time.

Like after winning the World Cup, you would never have seen Rahul Dravid being so animated. That celebration in Mumbai is still very much etched in our memory. We never expected that Mumbai would be at a standstill. I hope they get the same ovation here now. I don't know how they are going to do it, but that celebration was something special when we won for the first time. Now, this one is also very special.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) The T20 World Cup 2024 final's 'Player of the Match' Virat Kohli certainly bowed out on a high from the T20I format of the game. He ended his international career in the format with the most runs of any player at Men's T20 World Cups (1,292 runs) between 2012 and 2024, in 33 innings across 35 matches.

After delivering a match-winning knock for his team of 76 runs against South Africa in the final which led India to a seven-run victory, Kohli hung his boot from the T20I format ending his T20I career as India's second-highest run-scorer in the format, through 4188 runs in 125 games at an average of 48.69 and strike rate of 137.04.

As he stepped back from representing India in T20 internationals, it's a fine time to look back at some of his superlative performances in T20 World Cups.

78 not out vs Pakistan, 2012

In a memorable match in Colombo during the Super Eights, Kohli scored an unbeaten 78 off 61 balls, forming a vital third-wicket partnership with Yuvraj Singh to secure an eight-wicket win for India. Kohli's all-round skills shone as he also contributed with the ball, taking 1/21, earning him the Player of the Match award.

72 not out vs South Africa, 2014

The 2014 semifinal against South Africa was a stage set for Kohli. Chasing a target of 173, he hit 72 off 43 balls, including five fours and two sixes, steering India to the final. Despite India finishing as runners-up, Kohli was named Player of the Tournament, having scored the most runs with 319 to his credit.

82 not out vs Australia, 2016

In Mohali, Kohli once again showcased his mastery in run-chases. With India needing 161 but teetering at 49/3, Kohli anchored the innings. As the chase reached a critical point, India required 39 from the final 18 balls. Kohli delivered, hitting 32 off 11 balls, leading India to a Super 10 stage win.

82 not out vs Pakistan, 2022

In a thrilling Super 12 match at the MCG, Kohli proved he never knows when he's beaten. With India struggling at 31/4 while chasing a target of 160, Kohli partnered with Hardik Pandya to orchestrate an unlikely victory on the final ball. His unbeaten 82 off 53 balls captivated the crowd and secured a memorable win for India.

76 vs South Africa, 2024

Kohli saved his best for last, signing off with a match-winning performance in the T20 World Cup 2024 final. Despite an ambivalent form earlier in the tournament, he stepped up to hit 76 off 59 balls, earning yet another Player of the Match award.

His knock was instrumental in India clinching the T20 World Cup title by seven runs, marking a fitting end to his illustrious T20I career.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) After Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from the T20Is, fast bowler Mohammed Shami expressed his shock, saying filling their places in the team is going to be tough task.

Shortly after India won its second T20 World Cup with a seven-run win over South Africa at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Kohli was adjudged the Player-of-the-Match award for his 59-ball 76 and said this was the last T20 of his international career.

The right-hander ended his T20I career as India's second-highest run-scorer in the format, through 4188 runs in 125 games at an average of 48.69 and strike rate of 137.04.

Later on, Rohit in the post-match press conference announced that he’s joining Virat in ending his T20I career, finsihing his T20I career as the highest scorerwith 4231 runs in 159 matches - and also holding the record for the most centuries in men’s T20Is via fine tons.

"The retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from T20Is was a shock. They have been stalwarts for India, delivering outstanding performances for the country for 15-16 years and earning their titles as kings of white-ball cricket. Both retiring simultaneously is shocking, but it's part of the natural cycle—when one player leaves, another steps in. However, replacing such stars in the team will be a significant challenge," said Shami.

"Bidding goodbye to a journey after achieving your goal is a truly emotional moment. I would like to thank both Rohit and Virat for winning matches for the team, playing amazing innings for India, and breaking records along the way," he added.

Reflecting on India's title win, Shami congratulated Team India and support staff for the victory and thanked fans for boosting teams moral throughout the campaign.

"It's a huge achievement. Credit goes to the entire Indian team, the support staff, and the fans who boost our confidence. I would like to congratulate all the players who worked hard to remain unbeaten in the tournament. I would also like to acknowledge and congratulate those players who have contributed to the team's success in any capacity, as every little step and every prayer counts," said the 33-year-old pacer.

"Players who become a part of the World Cup are fortunate to have that opportunity, as only around 10 percent of players get a chance in their lifetime to be part of a World Cup-winning team," he concluded.

Speaking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratualting Men in Blue over phone call right after India's triumph, Shami said "I truly appreciate that our Prime Minister has a passion for the sport and personally congratulates our champions after their victories. It really boosts the team's confidence."

Source: IANS

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