The T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team landed in Delhi on July 4 aboard a specially-arranged charter flight, five days after winning the coveted title in Barbados where it was stranded due to a category 4 hurricane.

Hundreds of fans, holding placards congratulating their favourite players and waving the national flag, braved a steady drizzle to line up outside the Indira Gandhi International airport here to welcome the victorious players. – PTI

In the annals of comeback stories, his deserves to stand among the greatest, for rarely has Indian cricket seen a player going through the lowest of lows and ascend the summit in a matter of a few months like Hardik Pandya has.

Pandya’s comeback journey following an ankle injury which he suffered in the ODI World Cup was one that is replete with elements of disappointment and dejection but also with utmost resilience and determination shown against adversity.

Once a mainstay of the dominating Mumbai Indians’ side, he had gone to Gujarat Titans for a couple of years only to comeback but in a way that many did not accept. Pandya’s return to Mumbai Indians replacing ‘Mumbaicha Raja, Rohit Sharma’ was something that angered the fans.

Boos, heckles and all sorts of negativity were hurled at Pandya when he first led the Mumbai Indians side at Ahmedabad in their season opener.

But all that were matters of past when Pandya landed amid defeaning cheers with a vast sea of fans filling up the Wankhede Stadium as well as the Marine Drive to the brim.

“See you soon, Wankhede,” wrote the World Cup champion as he posted his selfie with the trophy before the parade here.

Inside the stadium, chants of ‘Hardik… Hardik’ began to reverberate.

– PTI