Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma, Dhruv Jurel share emotions after India's T20 World Cup triumph

As India's young brigade touched down in Harare for their upcoming Zimbabwe tour, a flood of excitement swept through the team. The rising stars will prepare for their international debuts and have an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. 

The Men in Blue, led by Shubman Gill, is set to take on Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series starting on July 6. This tour presents an opportunity for young talents like Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, and Dhruv Jurel to make their T20I debuts.

With Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, and Sanju Samson from the World Cup-winning squad present, the focus is on nurturing new talent and building on the momentum of India's recent triumph in West Indies and USA.

Also read: Hardik Pandya pens heartfelt note following T20 World Cup win

Meanwhile, the young players revealed where they were at the time of India's World Cup final. Dhruv Jurel shared a humorous story when India was about to script history.

"When I was watching the Final and cheering for India, South Africa came in the winning position, so I started cheering for South Africa and India made a comeback. I kept cheering for South Africa and India won the World Cup," he said in a video posted by BCCI.

Abhishek Sharma's experience was more personal and inspiring. The all-rounder revealed that he watched the game with Yuvraj Singh who was an integral member of India's inaugural T20 World Cup win.

"I was watching the final with one & only Yuvi Paaji, he got so emotional when India won, we celebrated a lot & it has given me the motivation to win a World Cup," he added.

Also read: Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma share emotions ahead of their India debut

It's inspirational for all of us: Riyan Parag

Team skipper Shubman Gill reflected on the significance of the win for his teammates and himself. The opener was one of the reserve players for the Indian side in the marquee event.

"This must be special for all of them and very special for me because seeing them working hard for so long for this feather in the cap," he added.

"It's inspirational for all of us, for all the youngsters who are here in the team to win a cup of this stature, it is motivating for all of us, it's motivating for all of us and all the youngsters," Riyan Parag said. 

The Rohit Sharma-led side received a brilliant reception for winning the World Cup. The team had a victory parade along Marine Drive in Mumbai, from Nariman Point to Wankhede Stadium, which drew tens of thousands of fans.

The procession, which lasted nearly an hour, culminated in a special felicitation program at Wankhede Stadium, where the team was presented with an INR 125 crore cheque by the BCCI.