Mumbai - Virat Kohli, reminiscing about India's T20 World Cup victory, shared an emotional moment at Wankhede Stadium. Thirteen years ago, a young Kohli celebrated India's ODI World Cup win with Sachin Tendulkar. Now, as a veteran, he reflected on his journey and the significance of winning the T20 World Cup.
Riding the Vijay Rath at Wankhede Stadium is nothing new for Virat Kohli. Thirteen years ago, at 22, he carried Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders to celebrate India's historic ODI World Cup win. But when he returned to the iconic venue on Thursday evening, this time as a veteran and recently retired T20I cricketer, he couldn't control his emotions.
Addressing a packed stadium celebrating India's T20 World Cup win, Kohli said, "When we won the World Cup in 2011, I couldn't connect with the emotions of the senior players at that time. I couldn't understand why they were crying. For me, it felt like, 'Yes, we have won the World Cup, and it's a fact.' I was 22 years old, but now, it's a different feeling."
After captaining India for a long time, Kohli admitted that he now understands what it's like to win a world title, battling through difficulties and overcoming disappointments.
"Being in this position now, I understand what it means. Not just me, Rohit has been playing for so long, and both of us have been working hard for this for so long. When I was the captain, he was a senior player; now he is the captain, and I am a senior player. Our only goal was to make India win the World Cup," he added.
Coming off a disappointing campaign in the recently concluded T20 event, Kohli's brilliant knock in the final paved the way for India. When India pulled off a victory from the jaws of defeat, it was an emotional moment for both Rohit and Kohli.
This was the first time Kohli saw Rohit getting so emotional on the field after playing together for 15 years. "When I was climbing the stairs, we were both crying. For me, that is a very special memory of that day. The only goal is Indian cricket and the Indian flag. That's what we take pride in," Kohli said.
As he got lost in nostalgia, the cricket-crazy fans of Mumbai gave him a standing ovation, and Kohli also called Wankhede Stadium 'special.' "There couldn't be a better place to come back and celebrate than at the Wankhede. The last time we came here, it was a special feeling, and it is a very special stadium. I love playing here and love the crowd here," he said.
