Sorry Argentina this is India and cricket is religion here.
The world at their feet, lakhs queuing on the streets of Mumbai for them and thousands more packing the stands of Wankhede Stadium -- the site of their 2011 World Cup triumph and where the 2007 T20 World Cup winning side held a similar celebration.What must it feel like to be Rohit Sharma tonight? To hear his name reverberating at the Wankhede Stadium in the same rhythm as “Sachin, Sachin!”. To receive a standing ovation from his own T20 World Cup-winning teammates.
Or to be Virat Kohli. On the ground where he carried Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders 13 years ago, the chants of fans were enough for Kohli to tear up.
Kohli concurred: “Bringing the trophy back to Wankhede is a very special feeling.”Or even Hardik Pandya. Booed relentlessly in Mumbai Indians’ hues of blue just three months ago. Tonight, they couldn’t stop singing his name. Pandya smiled and waved back; almost like the two parties putting the chapter behind them. Everything was forgiven and forgotten.
Put simply, what would it feel like to be one of the Men in Blue. The world at their feet, lakhs queuing on the streets of Mumbai for them and thousands more packing the stands of Wankhede Stadium — the site of their 2011 World Cup triumph and where the 2007 T20 World Cup winning side held a similar celebration.“This title is for the country,” Rohit said, his words sending the crowd into a tizzy. Turning to them, he added: “Mumbai never disappoints.”It nearly rained on India’s victory parade. But when the moment came, even the heavens, which intermittently opened up, played ball.The 1.7-km drive from the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) to Wankhede Stadium, on a normal day, takes not more than seven minutes. Thursday’s procession took almost two hours, with the open-top bus carrying Team India snaking through the deluge of crowd that had gathered on the streets of South Mumbai.When they finally arrived at Wankhede, at around 8.30 pm, it sent the fans who had been waiting impatiently for almost five hours into a delirium.On a night of nostalgia, emotions and endless intimate celebrations, there were stories steeped in symbolism wherever you looked.
The party began with “King” Kohli leading “Mumbaicha Raja” Rohit to a dance to dhol beats. It ended with a poignant moment, with the two walking side-by-side with the trophy in their hands.A little while ago, Kohli had walked past his teammates to the back of the bus, where Rohit sat by himself, savouring every moment. Grabbing him by the arm, Kohli urged Rohit to join him in the front. Once there, the duo — whose careers have been the subject of many dressing-room intrigues — high-fived, laughed and hoisted the trophy together.This was also a moment of sweet redemption for Rohit. It isn’t a secret how much it hurt him not to be a part of the 2011 World Cup side that lifted the trophy on this ground. Indeed, he was a part of a similar parade in 2007 which also, like Thursday, culminated at Wankhede.
