'Wanted to see Virat Kohli more closely': Fan who climbed tree during T20 WC victory parade speaks up (WATCH)

A fan's extraordinary efforts to catch a glimpse of his cricket idols went viral during Team India's T20 World Cup 2024 victory parade in Mumbai on Thursday.

Sunita Iyer

First Published Jul 6, 2024, 2:27 PM IST | Last Updated Jul 6, 2024, 2:27 PM IST

A fan's extraordinary efforts to catch a glimpse of his cricket idols went viral during Team India's T20 World Cup 2024 victory parade in Mumbai on Thursday. The fan, whose video surfaced on social media, climbed a tree to get a better view of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as the Indian cricket team celebrated their historic win.

Also read: STAGGERING! BMC collects over 11,500 kg waste from Marine Drive after India's T20 WC victory parade; see pics

"Because I wanted to see Virat Kohli up close. I'm a huge fan of his and Rohit Sharma. I wanted to click some videos, that is why I climbed on the tree. I have climbed multiple trees in my village. Virat did say something, but I couldn't hear anything because of the crowd. My family was very upset with me that I climbed on the tree. They were concerned that anything could have happened to me," the fan said during an interview with RJ Pinky.

The victory parade saw immense excitement as the Indian team rode on an open bus through the financial capital, acknowledging the thousands of fans who turned out to cheer for them. The parade was a part of the celebrations following their triumphant win against South Africa at the T20 World Cup final on June 29 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

The Indian team's return to the country was delayed due to a hurricane hitting the island, causing them to stay an additional three days. The BCCI arranged a special flight for the team, which departed on Wednesday and arrived in Delhi on Thursday morning. The team then met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi before heading to Mumbai for the grand celebration.

Rohit Sharma, who announced his retirement from T20Is following the World Cup victory, expressed his deep emotions during the celebrations.

Also read: When India celebrated T20 WC champions: Rohit Sharma reflects on 'mad' victory parade in Mumbai (WATCH)

"I wanted this badly. It's very hard to put it in words because that moment, I don't want to say what I was thinking and what was going in my mind, but it was a very emotional moment personally for me. I wish I could capture that moment myself but not really, you can't do that but I will always remember that."

Team India's unbeaten run in the tournament and their ultimate victory marked a historic moment, making them the first team to lift the T20 World Cup trophy without losing a single game.

The victory parade in Mumbai, highlighted by passionate fans and emotional speeches, underscored the immense support and love for the Men in Blue, and the lengths to which fans would go to see their heroes up close.

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