How, Virat, how heady and crazy have the last four days been?
First of all, a big thank you to all the people in the stadium and what we saw on the streets tonight is something I’m never going to forget in my life. Sorry, what was the question? It’s been a roller coaster ride the last four days, honestly. We won the way we wanted to, got out of Barbados as soon as possible, got back to India to celebrate with everyone. Got stuck in a hurricane but came back, what happened was phenomenal, truly special. I’m sure like every stadium at one point we felt like, man, it’s slipping away again. And then what happened in those last five overs was truly, truly special. It was you know what I would like, what I would like everyone to do is to applaud the guy who brought us back into the games again and again and again in this tournament and what he did what he did in those last five overs, bowling those last five is abnormal. Who’s round of applause for Jasprit Bumrah. Please, after the game I knew this was the moment, time to step away, let the young lads come through and take the Indian flag forward.
Just on a side note, I’m thinking of starting a petition to call Jasprit Bumrah a national treasure and the eighth wonder of the world. Will you be the first person to sign it?
You should do that, I will sign the petition now. Let him decide what he wants to do with the schedule. We want him to play as long as possible. He’s a once in a generation bowler and we’re so glad that he plays for us. This ground, 2nd of April 2011, you remember that day, and then today, this ground, this crowd always giving special memories with World Cups. It’s amazing. I remember when I won that World Cup, you asked Rohit the question as well when he won the first World Cup he was a part of. Honestly, I could not connect with the emotions of the senior players at that point of time. I was like, I don’t understand why they’re crying. For me, it felt like, yeah, we won the World Cup, it’s as easy as that. I was 22, 23. But now it is a different feeling. I remember saying something about Sachin Paji when we won that World Cup, that he’s carried the burden for so long. We carried him on our shoulders. And now, to be in this position, not just me, Rohit played for so long as well. We both have been trying this for so, so long, trying our hard. When I was captain, he was a senior player in the team. Now he is captain, I’m one of the senior players in the team. The only aim was to win India the World Cup. So I hope that we have carried that burden to an extent and given the results that the country wanted us to provide to them. And no better place to come back. The last time we won here, it was at Wankhede. Bringing the trophy back here is a truly special feeling. And it is because this is a very, very special stadium and I absolutely love playing here and love the crowds here as well. I mean, both of you, the senior-most members of the team, you know you both broke the internet with that picture of the flag across your shoulders.
Are you aware of how much you have broken the internet with that one picture, the two of you?
I don’t know about breaking the internet, but this is the first time in what, 15 years of playing together, I’ve seen Rohit show so much emotion on the field When I was walking up the steps, I was crying, he was crying, and we hugged. For me, it’s going to be a very special memory from that day because all said and done, after so many years, the only goal is this. The only goal is Indian cricket and the Indian flag, and that’s what we take pride in. It’s so amazing to see, especially the two of you, him winning in 2007, you winning in 2011 as young lads.
I’ve known you as young lads. I know you now as family men and adorable fathers. To see that journey with the two of you, the fact that you carried the hopes and dreams of one and a half plus billion Indians and taken us to this trophy, I thank you on behalf of all of them. Thank you so much, Virat. Thank you, guys.
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