Shillong, July 4: Star batter Virat Kohli celebrated the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph with his family members at hotel ITC Maurya here 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. (IANS)