New Delhi: India's T20 World Cup winners returned home to a heroes' welcome on Thursday, greeted by euphoric fans in New Delhi before skipper Rohit Sharma led them to a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Frenzied crowds shouted "India, India" after the team landed at Delhi airport from the Caribbean, having been delayed for days by Hurricane Beryl. The team waved to the crowds and danced to drums and live music at their hotel before heading off to meet Modi at his residence.
Rohit and his team wore Indian jerseys emblazoned with "Champions", as broadcasters showed images of them meeting the premier. Modi posed for a photograph with the team before sitting down for a chat with the players. The team then left for Mumbai for an open-topped bus victory parade in the heart of India's financial capital later in the day, which will end at Wankhede Stadium.
Earlier in the morning, whistles and wild cheers greeted the players as they walked out from the arrivals area with gold medals around their necks, some giving a thumbs-up to their fans. "This is surreal, watching my team with the World Cup," emotional fan Rohit Khanna told AFP. "I saw the 2011 triumph, but this is a moment I will never forget.
" Despite monsoon rain, crowds gathered outside New Delhi's airport long before dawn, waiting for a glimpse of their idols, who had beaten South Africa on Saturday in a thrilling final in Barbados. It was vice-captain Hardik Pandya who emerged first, wearing a Caribbean hat, and the .