‘First time in 15 years’: Kohli reveals emotional moment with Rohit during Team India’s grand welcome in Mumbai

Virat Kohli revealed he saw Rohit Sharma in an emotional state for the first time in 15 years of knowing the India skipper while outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid opened up on a special “phone call” from the ‘Hitman’ that made him extend his stay with the Indian team after the heartbreak in last year’s ICC ODI World Cup final.

Kohli and Dravid spoke highly about captain Rohit during the Indian team’s felicitation at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday for winning the recently-concluded T20 World Cup in the US and the Caribbean — winning their first ICC event in over a decade as a result.

Kohli also reminisced India’s memorable ODI World Cup triumph in 2011 with a victory over Sri Lanka in the final that took place at the iconic venue in south Mumbai, saying he finally understood the emotions of Sachin Tendulkar and the other senior players in the MS Dhoni-led team now that he is a veteran himself.

“This is the first time in 15 years that I have seen Rohit show so much emotion. When we were climbing those steps (at Kensington Oval) he was crying and I was crying,” Kohli said at the Wankhede after the victorious Indian team were given a grand welcome in Mumbai with an open-top bus parade through Mumbai’s Marine Drive.

Watch | Kohli and Rohit dance during Team India’s lap of honour at Wankhede Stadium

Kohli further revealed he had made up his mind about retiring from the format during the innings break in the final against South Africa in Barbados, which the Men in Blue ended up winning in thrilling fashion. Besides Kohli, Rohit and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also announced their retirements from the T20I format later on Saturday.

“I hope we (Rohit and I) have carried the burden and no better to bring it (trophy) back here (Wankhede).

“Halfway through the game I knew it it was time and let the next generation take over,” said Kohli, who was adjudged the Player of the Final for his knock of 76 off 59 deliveries.

Kohli also spoke about the 2011 World Cup triumph, in which he had produced a crucial knock of 35 in the summit clash against Sri Lanka in the final, saying it was special to be back at the venue with another World Cup in their possession.

“I remember when I won that World Cup as well. I couldn’t not connect with the emotions of the senior players back then. I was 22, 23. But now, it’s a different feeling. Now, to be in this position. We both (Rohit) have been trying for so long,” Kohli added.

Dravid’s tenure as India head coach, meanwhile, came to an end with India’s triumph in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup. The former India captain’s contract was originally supposed to expire at the end of last year’s ODI World Cup at home, in which the Men in Blue suffered a six-wicket loss at the hands of Australia in the final after winning every match in the tournament.

It was a phone call from Rohit, however, that convinced him to stay back, which would prove fruitful as he would go on to win his maiden World Cup in either limited-overs format — either as a player or as a coach.

“I mean, I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue after the 50-Over World Cup, and obviously, there was a great joy of having had a fantastic campaign but also a little bit of disappointment in the final that we could over the line.

“For Rohit to pick up the phone and say, Rahul, let’s have one more crack at it in six or eight months’ time. It will be lovely to have a crack at it together. I am so thankful because I had the chance to work with an exceptionally great bunch of boys. But also experience what I have experienced in Barbados and to experience what I have done here. Truly grateful and probably one of the best phone calls that I have received in my life,” Dravid said during the ceremony organised by the BCCI.

Rohit pays special tribute to Hardik

One of the highlights of the evening was Hardik Pandya’s reception at the Wankhede Stadium.

The all-rounder had bowled the crucial final over in which he dismissed both David Miller and Kagiso Rabada after being left with the task of defending 16 runs from six balls, and had made valuable contributions with bat as well as with ball throughout the tournament, and was thus accorded a hero’s welcome at the Wankhede with his name being chanted by the thousands who had turned up at the venue.

It was a fairytale comeback for the player who had been vilified for being appointed Mumbai Indians captain following a dramatic trade from Gujarat Titans, replacing long-time leader Rohit in the role in a sudden, unexpected move. Not only was Pandya subjected to incessant trolling online, he was also booed across venues, from his former home ground of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to the Wankhede.

Rohit Sharma said - “Hats off to Hardik Pandya bowled final over and he bowled brilliantly”.

- Then Wankhade crowds chanting “Hardik Hardik”.#IndianCricketTeam #RohitSharma𓃵 #hardikpandya #Mumbai #wankhede pic.twitter.com/Rg1croF0Wj

— Sanjeev Dherdu (@sanjeevdherdu) July 4, 2024

During his speech at the felicitation ceremony, Rohit made it a point to pay tribute to Pandya for his all-round contributions, the gesture of which made the latter emotional and teary-eyed.

“Hardik was bowling the last crucial over for us. Hats off to him for that last. You know how many over you need to defend, there is always so much pressure to bowl that over, hats off to him,” Rohit said during the event.

The Men in Blue were originally supposed to leave Barbados on 1 July, two days after their triumph over the Proteas in the summit clash at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. Their departure, however, was delayed due to a hurricane that had lashed across the Caribbean.

The Indian team along with the support staff, select BCCI officials including secretary Jay Shah as well as several Indian mediapersons, were then brought him in a charter flight via New York and Dubai that left Barbados in the early hours of Wednesday.

Before making their way to Mumbai, the Indian team had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi.