Peter Roebuck had once said the following lines on Sachin Tendulkar, India’s legendary batter: “On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt at one of the stations. The train stopped by for a few minutes as usual. Sachin was nearing a century, batting on 98. The passengers, railway officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the century. This genius can stop time in India!”
This famous quote is used quite frequently across media platforms and portals. Let’s tweak the aforesaid quote further by saying, not just any famous personality from the cricketing world, but the game itself can bring a city, known as the hub of cut-and-thrust activity, to a standstill. On July 4, 2024, a part of Mumbai came to a halt as thousands and thousands of fans crammed into the streets to cheer the Indian players taking a bus parade, to celebrate their T20 World Cup triumph in the Caribbean.
Not even a spell of rain could stop the fans from thronging the streets at Nariman Point. The only difference was that a sea of umbrellas were seen as the heavens opened up. Not surprisingly, the bus, supposed to take the players through the designated route, got stuck in the traffic.
From a grand reception at Delhi Airport at 6 PM to a sea of blue gathering at Marine Drive to witness the victory parade of the World Champions.
Reminiscing the unforgettable celebration of the World Champions.@Wowmomo4u @BoriaMajumdar #victoryprade #RohitSharma #ViratKohli… pic.twitter.com/bn7pmaqbUZ
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) July 5, 2024
Such was the passion and frenzied atmosphere on display, that one could sense the occasion while watching it on TV, in Bengaluru, more than 800 km from the aforementioned location. Meanwhile, the coveted cup passed through the hands of various players before the two shining lights of Indian cricket – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – hoisted it. The journey, which started at the National Centre for Performing Arts at 7.30 PM, took more than an hour to reach its final destination, the Wankhede Stadium.
Later on, Rohit went on to observe, “This trophy, yes it means so much to us, but it is for the entire nation. This trophy belongs to them.”
Yes, Rohit aptly put across the point that the trophy also ‘belongs’ to the Indian fan. The kind of support and adulation that the players receive from an Indian cricket fan is to be seen to be believed. No other sport in the country has managed to unify so many behind the Indian flag.
As far as the India captain is concerned, he has come a long way from being left out of the 2011 50-over World Cup squad to leading his country to World Cup glory. He is now the “Mumbai Cha Raja, Rohit Sharma.”
The Ajit Wadekar-led team that beat West Indies in 1971 were overwhelmed by the reaction they got on reaching home. But that celebration couldn’t compare to the sea of blue that celebrated with the team in New Delhi and Mumbai.@BCCI @BoriaMajumdar ✍️https://t.co/iYucTQ6ljc
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) July 5, 2024