NEWS
Follow UsTeam India had their victory parade on July 4 (Thursday) in Mumbai, after which the entire side finally congregated at a packed Wankhede Stadium. Following a lengthy speech from skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli addressed the energetic crowd. Here’s what he had to say.
‘Crying and hugging Rohit after the WC win will be a forever special memory’
“Rohit and I have been trying for this trophy for so long. The only aim was to try and win the World Cup for the country.
“I don’t know about breaking the internet, but this is the first time in 15 years of playing together that I’ve seen Rohit show so much emotion on the field. When I was walking up the steps, I was crying, he was crying, and we hugged. For me, that’s going to be a very special memory.
“Because all said and done, the only goal is this. The only goal is Indian cricket and the Indian flag. And that’s what we take pride in.”
‘Knew that it was time to step away from T20Is’
“What we saw in the streets tonight is something I’ll never ever forget in my life. The last four days were a rollercoaster - we won the World Cup, we weren’t able to get out of Barbados, got stuck in a Hurricane. Bit of an anticlimax. But the final itself was truly, truly special.
“After the game I knew, this was it, time to step away, let the young lot come through and take the Indian flag forward.”
‘Bumrah is a once-in-a-generation cricketer, a national treasure’
“Like everyone, at one point, we also felt like the final was slipping away. And then, what happened in those last five overs was truly special.
“What I would like everyone to do is applaud a guy who brought us back into games again and again and again in the World Cup. And what he did in those last five overs [of the final], bowling two overs of the last five, was phenomenal. A huge round of applause for Jasprit Bumrah, please.
“We want Bumrah to play for as long as possible. He is a once-in-a-generation bowler. I’m so glad that he plays for us.”
‘Can connect with the emotions of winning a WC now; wasn’t able to relate with seniors in 2011’
“I remember when I won that World Cup [in 2011], I honestly could not connect with the emotions of the senior players. I was like, I don’t understand why they are crying. For me it was like, ‘yeah we won the World Cup’. As easy as that. I was 22-23. But now it is a different feeling.
“No better place to come back. The last time we won a World Cup was at the Wankhede. To bring the trophy is a special feeling. It’s a special stadium - I love playing here and I love the crowd here as well.”
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