Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli thanked Mumbai Police on Friday for their assistance in smoothly transporting the national team from Nariman Point to Wankhede Stadium during the team's victory parade on Thursday. "Deep respect and heartfelt thanks to all the officers and staff of @MumbaiPolice & @CPMumbaiPolice for doing a phenomenal job during Team India’s Victory Parade. Your dedication and service is highly appreciated. Jai Hind !," Virat Kohli wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Mumbai Police responded to Kohli's tweet, acknowledging the excitement surrounding the event and stating, "Your G.O.A.T feat deserved nothing less but a befitting bandobast. The VIRAT celebration yesterday was our trophy." (GOAT - Greatest Of All Time, Bandobast - Arrangement)
The parade, celebrating India's T20 World Cup win, drew massive crowds. Thousands of passionate fans lined the streets of South Mumbai's Marine Drive, eager to catch a glimpse of their favourite cricket stars. The overwhelming enthusiasm caused traffic to come to a standstill. The open-bus parade, originally scheduled to begin at 5:30 PM, was delayed by two hours due to the large crowds. The route, typically covered in five minutes, took over an hour to complete as the players basked in the adulation of their fans.
Since the 2011 triumph, India had come close to winning the title on several occasions but had fallen short each time. Their recent heartbreaks included a semi-final defeat to England in the 2022 T20 World Cup and a loss to Australia in the ODI World Cup final last year in Ahmedabad. However, the victory in Barbados added a new chapter to India's golden history.
Kohli, who has been a part of the Indian team for 15 years, shared a heartfelt moment with captain Rohit Sharma after the victory. "Rohit and I, we have been trying this for so long. We always wanted to win a World Cup. Bringing the trophy back to Wankhede is a very special feeling. I've seen Rohit so emotional - he was crying, I was crying, a hug between both of us - I will never forget that day," Kohli remarked.
The right-handed batters have been key players for Indian cricket, delivering consistent performances across formats for several years. Sharma was part of the Indian squad that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, while Kohli made his debut for India later. In the 2011 ODI World Cup, Kohli played but Sharma was not picked. They both played in India's ICC Champions Trophy-winning team in 2013 but had never celebrated a World Cup win together until now.
Following India's second T20 World Cup title, both Sharma and Kohli announced their retirements from T20Is. They ended their careers as the top two run-scorers in T20I cricket. Sharma scored 4231 runs in 159 games at an average of 32.05 and a strike rate of 140.89. Kohli amassed 4188 runs in 125 T20Is, averaging 48.69 with a strike rate of 137.04.
"Time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward. It's been a long wait for us, waiting to win an ICC tournament. You look at someone like Rohit, he's played nine T20 World Cups and this is my sixth. He deserves it," Kohli said.
Rohit echoed the sentiment, saying it was the right moment for him to step away from T20I cricket.
"That was my last game as well. Honestly, I have enjoyed it since the time I started playing this format. There is no better time to say goodbye to this format. I have loved every moment of it. I started my India career playing this format. This is what I wanted to do. Win the Cup and say goodbye," said Rohit.
Both players are expected to continue representing India in ODIs and Tests.
