Hardik Pandya brings T20 World Cup to Mumbai as 'City of Dreams' drenches in success

Hardik Pandya’s redemption tour comes full circle in Mumbai. The all-rounder was subjected to immense criticism during IPL 2024 after he replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain of Mumbai Indians. Wherever he went in India, the 30-year-old was abused and was welcomed with heavy boos and racial slurs. Despite that, Pandya never commented on the same and worked on his game and answered all the criticism during the T20 World Cup.

He played a vital role in India’s success and helped the team win the coveted trophy after a long wait of 17 years. After the final against South Africa at Kensington Oval, Barbados, Pandya was seen crying on camera and later revealed that he went through a lot in the last six months but never gave up. His teammates in the national team understood the difficulties Pandya faced and gave him the opportunity to win Mumbai back.

Here's the video -

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Skipper Rohit presented a grand opportunity to Pandya, who came out of the Mumbai airport with the trophy. The fans in attendance welcomed him with ‘Pandya, Pandya’ chants as the player lifted the trophy for all the fans. He was full of swag, wearing his shades and the special ‘Champion’ jersey that was designed for the Indian team.

Other Indian players too received a grand welcome from the fans. Rohit Sharma left the airport with his daughter while Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli and Yuzvendra Chahal followed him. All the cameras were pointed at the stars of Indian cricket, who didn’t speak to the media but their presence was enough for the fans to cheer loudly. 

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The players left Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for Wankhede Stadium. Thousands of fans gathered in the stadium to celebrate with the fans while a special victory parade was arranged for them at Marine Drive. The Indian team is running a bit late but the fans have no problem waiting for the celebrations to begin. As things stand, it may continue till at least 10:30 pm IST.