Rohit Sharma urges Wankhede crowd to calm down as victory speech hijacked, dedicates World Cup trophy to ‘entire nation’

Rohit was all smiles on a busy day for Team India upon their arrival in the country in the early hours on Thursday, but as engaging and heartwarming each one of the activities was, nothing could top what transpired when the team reached the Wankhede Stadium after a victory march from Marine Drive. The India captain was asked to come up on the stage and reflect on the crowning moment of his career but was hijacked by the Mumbai crowd, which erupted in cheers, forcing Rohit to pause his speech momentarily.

Also Read: Team India’s Arrival and Victory Parade Highlights

Before Rohit could answer, the Wankhede faithful went up in unison and cheered on for a good 30-odd seconds before an overwhelmed Rohit urged the crowd to let him speak. Slowly the words came out of his mouth in addressal, for the first time since India lifted the T20 World Cup in Barbados after beating South Africa on Saturday.

“Firstly… since we came to India, it’s been wonderful. The reception we’ve received here tells you the kind of enthusiasm people had for this trophy. Yes, of course, it means so much for us but it’s for the entire nation. Along with all the players who have represented the country, I think the people who’ve been wanting us to win the trophy, it [trophy] belongs to them,” Rohit said while dedicating the World Cup win to the entire nation of India.

Watch the clip below:

Team India arrived in Delhi at 6:00 AM following a 16-hour flight from Barbados. From there, the players headed to ITC Maurya, where they cut cakes and got some well-deserved rest. Around two hours later, the team proceeded to visit PM Narendra Modi at his residence where everyone had breakfast. They then departed for Mumbai and arrived at Nariman Point at approximately 7:30 PM, marking the commencement of the open-bus road show.

Fans everywhere

But the one thing that remained constant throughout the day was the turnout of the fans. Be it airport, hotel or Marine Drive, fans turned up in numbers. So while it could have been every bit taxing and tiring for Rohit and his team, going by the captain’s gratitude towards them, it could well be worth every minute.

“Look, it’s been only 3-4 days since the final. We just arrived this morning. Honestly, it was a wonderful experience and a great honour to meet Mr. Narendra Modi in the morning with the team. We all know how passionate he is about the sport so again bringing this World Cup to this country means the world to us,” added Rohit.

“Obviously, Mumbai never disappoints when it comes to celebrating the trophy. We got a solid reception and on behalf of the team, BCCI, I would like to thank the fans, the entire nation, the people who supported the game, watched it and along with us for the last 13 years they are the ones who have been wanting this trophy to come back. Finally it’s here I am happy and relieved.”