Return of Champions: I have never seen Rohit get so emotional on the field as he did on June 29, says Kohli in Wankhede

Mumbai, July 4 India star Virat Kohli praised captain Rohit Sharma for showing emotion on the field on the day India won the 2024 T20 World Cup in Bridgetown Barbados. “I have played with him for 15 years but have never seen Rohit show so much emotion on the field,” Kohli said during the felicitation function organised by the BCCI at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

Kohli said winning the 2024 T20 World Cup was a special moment for him as he didn’t realise how tough the moment was when he was part of MS Dhoni’s team that won the 2011 ODI World Cup at the same venue. “I was 21-22 then and didn’t realise why the seniors were getting so emotional. After winning this World Cup, I realised how special it is,” said Kohli, who said he immediately realised that it was time to bid farewell to the format and make way for the youngsters.

It was Thursday evening and the streets were filled with revelry as the Indian cricket team, fresh from their T20 World Cup victory, was set to parade down Marine Drive.

As the open-top bus began its journey from the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), a sea of ​​fans in blue shirts stretched along Marine Drive, chanting patriotic slogans. “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” “Jitega Bhai Jitega, India Jitega,” and “Vande Mataram” echoed through the evening air, mingling with the cries of street vendors and the honking of vehicles.

The sheer number of people created a stampede-like situation at several points. However, the Mumbai police had anticipated the excitement and deployed a large number of personnel along the route to ensure the safety of the crowd. Their vigilance paid off as they managed to prevent any major incidents, although a few people fell ill and had to be hospitalized.

A heartwarming moment emerged amid the chaos, captured and shared by Mumbai Police on X (formerly Twitter). As an ambulance made its way through the busy Marine Drive, the crowd, in a remarkable display of empathy and discipline, cleared a path. “Siren Bajta gaya, Rasta banta gaya,” read the caption of the Mumbai Police post, which celebrated the spirit of cricket fans.

As the bus drew closer to the Wankhede Stadium, the epicentre of Mumbai cricket, the atmosphere became increasingly frenetic with excitement. Policemen, both uniformed and plainclothes, stood vigil, frisking fans entering the stadium and maintaining order. The Western Railway, anticipating the rush, had announced extra services from Churchgate to Borivali to facilitate the journey for the fans, while over 400 Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police personnel were stationed at Churchgate station.

The Central Railway’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, however, was not so lucky, with significant delays and more chaos. Traffic was snarled around Marine Drive and surrounding roads, with hundreds of vehicles standing still.

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