Indian Cricket Team Lands in Delhi to Heroic Celebrations After World Cup Win

NEW DELHI: India's T20 World Cup winners returned home to a warm welcome on Thursday. Captain Rohit Sharma and his team were greeted by enthusiastic fans eager to catch a glimpse of their heroes.

Excited crowds chanted "India, India" as the team arrived in New Delhi from the Caribbean, after being delayed for days due to Hurricane Beryl.

The players were met with whistles and wild cheers as they emerged from the arrivals area wearing gold medals around their necks. Some of them gave a thumbs-up to their fans.

Despite the monsoon rain, crowds gathered outside New Delhi's airport well before dawn, hoping to see their heroes who had defeated South Africa in a thrilling final in Barbados on Saturday.

"It's home," India's cricket board posted on social media.

Vice-captain Hardik Pandya was the first to come out, wearing a Caribbean hat, and the crowd went wild when captain Rohit Sharma appeared holding the shiny trophy, which he lifted into the air.

The team is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Thursday, before heading to Mumbai for a victory parade in the city's financial district later in the day.

They eventually left the airport on buses, escorted by a long line of police cars with sirens blaring.

Last weekend's win ended an 11-year wait for a global cricket trophy for India since their 2013 Champions Trophy victory.

Their last World Cup win was in 2011 at home, in the 50-over format, under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

One fan held up a poster of coach Rahul Dravid that read, "Thank you, Mr. Dependable."

The final was the last match for Dravid, 51, who was lifted into the air by the team during the post-match celebrations.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja all announced their retirement from T20 international cricket after the final.

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