Tight security for victory parade of T20 world champs in Mumbai

Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the road show of the T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team on Thursday evening in Mumbai where a large number of fans are expected to gather to watch the procession, an official said.

The victorious team, which returned to the country on Thursday morning, will take part in an open bus road show followed by a felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium in south Mumbai.

The victory procession will be held between 5 and 7 pm from Nariman Point to the Wankhede Stadium, the official said on Wednesday.

As a large number of people are expected to gather for the event, police are taking utmost precaution to avoid any untoward incident, he said.
Adequate security is being deployed at the Marine Drive between Nariman Point and Wankhede Stadium, the official said.

The T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team arrived in New Delhi from Barbados on Thursday aboard a specially-arranged charter flight with scores of fans lining up outside the airport in the national capital to welcome the players despite a steady drizzle and heavy security deployment that kept them at a distance from their heroes.

The departure of the Indian squad from Barbados was delayed due to Hurricane Beryl.

“The team will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 11 am at his residence. After this, the team will fly to Mumbai, where a ceremony has been organised,” BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla told PTI.

“There will be a road show from Nariman Point in an open bus and later we will honour and felicitate the players with the prize money of Rs 125 crore as announced,” he added.

The squad on Saturday won the country its second T20 world title, ending an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy. India’s previous ICC title was in 2013 when it won the Champions Trophy under Mahendra Singh Dhoni.