MUMBAI, July 3: The T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team will take part in an open bus road show followed by a felicitation ceremony here at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
The Indian team is expected to reach New Delhi early on Thursday morning (6:20am) after departing from Barbados’ Grantley Adams International Airport in a chartered flight which has a special call sign – AIC24WC – Air India Champions 24 World Cup.
The departure of the Indian squad was delayed due to Hurricane Beryl.
However, the team, its support staff, the players’ families, some board officials and travelling Indian media finally managed to leave Barbados in the charter flight arranged by the BCCI early on Wednesday morning (4:50am local time).
“The team has left from Barbados on a special Air India flight hired by the BCCI. The Indian journalists who were stuck there (Barbados) are also coming on the same flight along with BCCI president (Roger Binny) and secretary (Jay Shah), who are looking after all the arrangements,” BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said.
“The flight will land at Delhi airport tomorrow 6 am. The team will meet PM Narendra Modi at 11 am at his residence. After this, the team will fly to Mumbai, where a ceremony has been organised.
“There will be a road show from Nariman Point in an open bus and later we will honour and felicitate the players with the prize money of Rs 125 crore as announced,” he added.
The Indian team will arrive in Mumbai at 4:00pm and is expected to reach the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), as they will start a two-hour long open bus parade.
The open bus parade will start approximately at 5:00pm from the NCPA, near the famous Nariman Point, and will go on for about two hours before they reach the Wankhede Stadium.
A felicitation event to honour the players and the squad members has been scheduled between 7:00pm to 7:30pm, after which the players will leave for their hotel.
BCCI secretary Shah welcomed all fans to join the victory parade on Thursday evening.
“Join us for the Victory Parade honouring Team India’s World Cup win! Head to Marine Drive and Wankhede Stadium on July 4th from 5:00 pm onwards to celebrate with us! Save the date! #TeamIndia,” Shah wrote on ‘X’, formerly Twitter.
Victorious India captain Rohit Sharma also took to social media to welcome the fans.
“We want to enjoy this special moment with all of you. So let’s celebrate this win with a victory parade at Marine Drive & Wankhede on July 4th from 5:00pm onwards.
It’s coming home,” Rohit posted on ‘X’.
A felicitation event at the Wankhede Stadium is also planned for the members of the Indian team.
A similar road show was held here 14 years ago when Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team had beaten arch-rivals Pakistan in the final of the inaugural 2007 World T20 in South Africa.
Rohit and his men won the title after pulling off a thrilling seven-run win over South Africa in the final on Saturday at the Kensington Oval. (PTI)
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