Kamal Ghorui
TimesofIndia.com in Ahmedabad: When the fireworks went off at the Narendra Modi Stadium, there wasn’t the expected frenzy outside the venue. The thousands who rushed to their seats before the T20 World Cup final began were in no hurry to leave as India celebrated the 2026 T20 World Cup title. Impromptu bhangra, celebrations with loved ones and the victory laps were the kind of moments every Indian fan would savour for the rest of their lives, and Ahmedabad certainly wasn’t going to let go of the opportunity. Some people without tickets thronged the lanes leading to the gigantic facility. For them, it was about screaming their lungs out while dancing to the tunes of “India! India!” and the beats of the dhol which broke out the moment India completed formalities. Although the night of celebrations was going to be long, Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir‘s first priority was taking the trophy to the temple located inside the stadium with ICC Chair Jay Shah. The three offered their prayers and received blessings before moving on to the next set of events.
Around 2:30 am, the word had spread that the team was around and the loud sirens made spotting them much easier. Hundreds gathered around the hotel walls to catch a glimpse of their superstars and nearly a thousand people thronged both sides of the heavily secured streets. The police had blocked the straight road to the hotel but Indian cricket fans maneuvered around the home stretch to reach it. The hotel staff prepared for the mayhem by blocking all entry points to the facility, even making guests wait outside before opening the barricades.
A massive crowd had collected outside the Team India hotel in Ahmedabad after the T20 World Cup triumph. (Image: Sahil Malhotra/TimesofIndia.com)
When Hardik Pandya got off the team bus holding the trophy, fireworks went off and the players kept ducking for cover because the explosions seemed too close for comfort. The usual flower shower, dhol and music followed but the entire team rushed into the hotel’s ballroom. To avoid the crowd and the madness of in-house guests, the lobby area wasn’t used. While this disappointed some fans waiting for hours, it seemed the most sensible approach.
Gautam Gambhir (L), Jay Shah (R) and Suryakumar Yadav (back) after offering the T20 World Cup trophy to Lord Hanuman in Ahmedabad. (PTI)
Even though the entry was smooth, the party wasn’t over yet. Family members and managers of a few players casually roamed near the entrance. However, they also received the message: a party was happening, and the players wouldn’t be free for at least the next couple of hours.
Team India bus makes its way towards the hotel in Ahmedabad after winning the T20 World Cup. (Image: Sahil Malhotra/TimesofIndia.com)
The crowd had also started to clear from around the hotel and the police shooed away the handful who were trying to climb over the walls to get a sneak-peek. Some players had already initiated their return travel plans while most were set to have one of the soundest sleeps of their lives. As Surya and most players said after the title win, “It will take at least 3-4 days to sink in, the feeling of winning T20 World Cup at home. But it feels unreal.”
