T20 World Cup: Mumbai Gridlocks As Indian Cricket Team's Victory Parade Draws Massive Crowds

South Mumbai faced severe traffic congestion on Thursday evening as a sea of people converged at Marine Drive for the victory parade of the Indian cricket team. Trains arriving at Churchgate on the Western Railway network and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the final station on the Central Railway's route, were crowded with people from various parts of the city heading to the southern tip to watch the parade.

Stations and roads echoed with slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', 'Vande Mataram', and 'India India'. Tricolour-waving and blue jersey-clad crowds braved intermittent rain to catch a glimpse of the team that had brought home T20 cricket's most coveted prize after more than a decade.

By 4:45 pm, traffic towards Marine Drive was halted, causing chaos on other roads in southern Mumbai, with vehicles lined up bumper to bumper. Many motorists complained of being stuck on the road for hours with traffic moving at a snail's pace. A taxi driver reported, "It took me one and a half hours to get from Marine Lines to Chowpatty, which normally should have taken a few minutes."

Roads in the entire region saw heavy parking from the afternoon, while Railway Protection Force and railway police personnel manned stations, guiding people to the iconic Marine Drive. By evening, announcements were made advising people not to proceed to the seafront as the area was already packed.

The start of the victory parade, scheduled from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, was delayed as the squad landed in the city a little after 5:00 pm. The team had left New Delhi at 3:42 pm after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day, having returned from Barbados early in the morning.

Civic-run BEST stopped bus services in the Marine Drive area by early evening, as many buses were stuck in traffic and unable to complete their routes. A Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking spokesperson reported, "At least 10 routes were severely affected due to the victory parade and the resultant overcrowding at Marine Drive and other parts of south Mumbai."

The Wankhede Stadium was opened to fans who filled the stands within minutes to celebrate the Indian cricket team’s title triumph last Saturday. The iconic stadium, which witnessed India’s last ODI World Cup triumph in 2011, had its stands filled to the brim by passionate fans, with thousands waiting outside the gates, which were closed around 5:00 pm.

The itinerary for the parade included a two-hour open bus journey from the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Nariman Point to the Wankhede Stadium.

(With inputs from PTI.)