T20 World Cup champions return home: Victory lap concludes celebrations at Wankhede Stadium

The Indian cricket team has started a victory lap at Wankhede Stadium with star cricketers signing cricket balls for the fans. 

After interaction with Jasprit Bumrah, the BCCI invited Rohit Sharma and his men to receive the biggest prize money in cricket history - INR 125 crore cheque. 

We have been playing for the last 15 years, this is the first time, I see Rohit so emotional - he was crying, I was crying, a huge between both of us - I will never forget that day. We both know the ultimate goal - winning this World Cup. 

I want all you people to take a moment to applaud Jasprit Bumrah. He brought us back into the game again and again in the last five overs. Huge applause for him.

I am very proud of this team. I am very lucky to to have this team. Entire players, support staffs walk started three-four years ago .... It was the effort of what we have done in last 3-4 years. 

This trophy is entire for nation. It was an honour to meet PM Narendra Modi with the team ..We all know how passionate he is about sports. When it comes to winning trophy, Mumbai never disappoints..

After a national anthem, the BCCI Secretary Jay Shah kicks off a felicitation ceremony with a speech. 

Indian players have arrived at Wankhede Stadium and will join the welcome event soon. 

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandy greets the Wankhede crowd by lifting the trophy which triggered a huge cheer. 

Thousands of fans are celebrating T20 World Cup glory with team India as cricketers appreciate the grand welcome with open arms. 

And the wait is over...

The grand victory parade is about to begin as Indian cricketers celebrate their T20 World Cup 2024 success in an open bus at Nariman Point. 

Team India's victory parade will end at Wankhede Stadium where the BCCI is hosting a welcome event to felicitate T20 World Cup winners. Fans have already crowded all the stands at the iconic cricket ground in Mumbai and are eagerly waiting for the heroes' arrival. 

After a long wait, Indian players and coaching staff depart from Mumbai airport.

A victory parade is to start soon. 

Wait for the Champions continues but the fans have thronged the Marine drive already!!!

Team India has reached Mumbai and the victory parade will start soon now

Fans have gathered in numbers at the airport, team hotel, Wankhede Stadium and Marine Drive to celebrate T20 World Cup 2024 success with players.

The grand victory parade will begin from Marine Drive after the team lands in Mumbai.  

After getting booed throughout the IPL 2024 by fans at Wankhede Stadium, Hardik Pandya will likely get a hero's welcome at the same venue in some time. 

The Indian cricket team's flight from Delhi to Mumbai was reportedly delayed due to rain. The team is likely to land at Mumbai airport around 5:15 pm. 

What a great honour meeting our honourable prime minister shri narendra modi ji today @narendramod. Thank you sir for inviting us to the prime minister's residence

The 1.5km stretch from Nariman Point starting from NCPA to the Wankhede Stadium is already abuzz with anticipation as fans have gathered around to see their stars in Mumbai. The bus has taken a mock route from NCPA to now Wankhede Stadium to check the distance, key areas of possible congestion and traffic.

The formalities and all the meet and greets in Delhi are done as the Indian team has left for the airport to fly to Mumbai. The Indian team's flight from Indira Gandhi International Airport is scheduled at 2 PM for Mumbai where there is a victory parade planned and a function at the Wankhede Stadium.

The Indian team has left Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office for hotel for final pickup of their luggage and bags before leaving for the airport as they fly to Mumbai for the scheduled victory parade.

The Indian team is set to leave for the airport anytime now with the flight for Mumbai scheduled at 2 PM IST. The Indian team met with Prime Minister Modi at his residence in Lok Kalyan Marg and even though there has been no update since they entered the PMO but it's likely that the pictures and videos will be shared in a few minutes.

Mumbai Cricket Association secretary Ajinkya Naik has confirmed that the entry for public is free at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday evening for the event on first come first serve basis and the entry is likely to be closed by 6 PM. There will be congestion and hence the fans are advised to make their plans in advance.

The Indian players have all cut the cake and now left for the Prime Minister's office for a tete-a-tete with PM Narendra Modi.

Team India players have left for PM's office now. They will have breakfast with PM Modi and then leave for Mumbai.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli cut the cake!! All the visuals are coming live

India head coach Rahul Dravid cut the cake and skipper Rohit Sharma too did his bit before the players left wearing the 'CHAMPIONS' shirts to enter the team bus for the PM office.

The chefs, the hotel staff and the fans are all ready to witness the cake-cutting. A special tricoloured-cake is done up at ITC Maurya to celebrate the Indian team's T20 World Cup triumph and the team captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid alongside other members of the team and the staff will cut the cake before departing for PM's office.

Sanju Samson shared the picture on his Instagram story of the new jersey with 'CHAMPIONS' written on it while the second star of two T20 World Cup trophies being inscribed above the BCCI logo on the kit.

Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Hardik Pandya let their feet groove at the beats of the dhol at the ITC Maurya hotel as they danced their heart out before entering the hotel.

A companion like a World Cup trophy, it just can't get better than that. It was a memorable day for the Indian players as they just couldn't get enough of it. All the 15 players took the trophy with them, got pictures clicked, soaked the moment in as the world champions are finally back home.

A lot of things are to be done and achieved on Thursday, July 4 for the Indian team as far as their itinerary goes. At 9 AM, the team is set to leave for the Prime Minister's office. PM Narendra Modi is set to meet the Indian players and congratulate them for winning the World Cup while there is a felicitation ceremony organised. After that, the team is set to leave for Mumbai where a parade is organised at Marine Drive and another function at the Wankhede Stadium.

The big posters, a three-storeyed cake with a miniature T20 World Cup trophy, refreshments in tricolour, it's all decked up at ITC Maurya for the welcome of the Indian team at the team hotel.

Like the airport, there is a similar fanfare at the ITC Maurya hotel in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. The fans have lined up both outside the hotel and inside to meet their heroes.

The love for cricket, the players and the Indian team is too deep and huge for the fans to not miss a chance to catch a glimpse even if there is rain and overcast weather in the capital city. The fans defied security to try and get pictures and selfies with the players. After the team bus left, the fans sang songs and chanted slogans to celebrate the Indian team's homecoming.

Amid heavy security and congestion of fans and media, skipper Rohit Sharma found a way to have a light moment as he lifted the T20 World Cup trophy in jest as the crowd went berserk. With the rain around, the players and their families were quickly deboarded at the airport and taken to the bus.

The Indian contingent has boarded the bus for the team hotel, ITC Maurya, and the bus has left for the hotel amid the fanfare.

The Indian contingent landed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport and despite it being an early rainy morning in the capital city, there were hundreds and thousands of fans and media at the airport welcoming their heroes, trying to catch a glimpse. 

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley confirmed that she was doing everything in her power to get the team out of there but she also mentioned that the window was a small one as another hurricane was on the horizon from Wednesday, July 3. Hence, Indian authorities arranged a huge Air India charter, which carried the Indian contingent as well as the journalists stuck in Barbados and left the region on Tuesday, July 2 local time.

Since Sunday (June 30) evening, strong winds and a life-threatening storm has lashed Barbados and there was a lockdown-like situation. It was the tropical hurricane Beryl, which meant that the airports were not operational, flights were cancelled and every single person in the region was urged to stay put at home. The Indian players, their families, journalists and the whole contingent was asked to put at their hotels for the time being.

It's been a long wait for not just the players and the whole team but the fans back at home as well to see the champions and the Indian T20 World Cup-winning team has finally returned home following a long 16-hour flight from Barbados.