The final time the Indian males’s cricket crew shared the room with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was the Ahmedabad dressing room stuffed with an environment of gloom, heartbreak and distraught, however right this moment, as the identical crew met PM Modi at his residence, it was a surreal show of pleasure and pleasure. The previous assembly came about within the Indian crew’s dressing room on November 19, final 12 months, because the Males in Blue after 10 dominating victories didn’t cross the ultimate hurdle in opposition to Australia within the ODI World Cup at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
The defeat had left all the nation heartbroken, as India had not simply misplaced a World Cup after such an unprecedented present of dominance, however it as soon as once more fell quick on the house turf, in opposition to arch-rivals Australia, a crew that had already given loads of heartbreaks to India within the 75-something years of rivalry.
Because the watch for the subsequent ICC trophy — after the Champions Trophy win in 2013 — crossed a decade, the teary-eyed gamers left for his or her dressing rooms after post-match displays, to fully specific their feelings after as soon as once more regardless of giving their greatest, they fell wanting the ending line.
Throughout these heartbreaking moments, PM Modi got here to cheer up the nation’s most cherished and beloved group of boys. He went to every participant one after the other, shaking their fingers or hugging them, comforting them along with his phrases, and asking them to maintain their morale up.
He went to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of the nation’s largest cricketing superstars, consoling them by saying “It occurs, you may have received 10 video games straight” and urged them to maintain one another’s morale up.
The 2 legends did not know then, they’d be standing in a totally completely different place a couple of months later.
Quick ahead to 2024, and instances have modified for good. From gloomy, depressed faces after a defeat at Ahmedabad, Males in Blue returned to India as undefeated T20 champions of the world, battling completely different and troublesome opponents, circumstances, pitches, and match conditions on their method in the direction of the championship trophy.
The gamers’ faces are stuffed with pleasure, jubilation and pleasure. There’s a sense of aid to have lastly secured a World Cup as a gaggle, which incorporates stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and head coach Rahul Dravid, whose journey in the direction of immortality and greatness was stopped by Australia simply seven months in the past.
The promise made to the nation was lastly fulfilled within the Caribbean, which was, apparently, the place the place one of the crucial heartbreaking chapters of Indian cricket was written again in 2007: A primary-round exit within the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.
It was after this humiliating exit underneath Rahul Dravid’s captaincy that Males in Blue went on to win the T20 World Cup (2007), ICC Cricket World Cup (2011) and ICC Champions Trophy (2013) back-to-back-to-back underneath MS Dhoni to finish a memorable white-ball cricket treble. Dravid, then the captain, lastly returned again house along with his first huge trophy in worldwide cricket, as a coach.
After their T20 WC triumph, gamers have been seen laughing, and interacting joyously with the Prime Minister, as they talked in regards to the event. Prime Minister posed for an image with all the crew of gamers and coaches, holding the trophy together with skipper Rohit and coach Dravid.
Throughout their assembly with the Prime Minister, the ‘Males in Blue’ wore a particular jersey sporting two stars over the BCCI’s emblem. The celebs represented the 2 T20 World Cup wins. The phrase ‘CHAMPIONS’ was written on the jersey in daring letters.
Earlier right this moment, the T20 World Cup-winning Indian crew touched down within the nationwide capital, to a heat welcome from followers, who have been eagerly ready to catch a glimpse of their favorite heroes and the trophy.
The profitable crew together with the help employees, their households, and the media have been caught in Barbados, because the island nation was hit by Hurricane Beryl. Lastly, they boarded the particular flight organised by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah on Wednesday.
Staff India reached the ITC Maurya Lodge, the place in addition they reduce a particular cake that includes the T20 World Cup trophy to have fun the historic win.
As many profitable groups do throughout all sports activities, the Rohit-led aspect is scheduled to have an open-top bus trip in Mumbai at Marine Drive and the enduring Wankhede Stadium from 5:00 pm onwards to have fun an event, the nation has witnessed after 13 lengthy years.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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