Victorious Indian team basks in euphoric welcome from fans in New Delhi

New Delhi: 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.