Mumbai, September 25
The Indian cricket team awaits a jackpot and grand display of public adulation when they arrive in Mumbai on Wednesday morning with a World Cup cricket trophy in 24 years.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has organised a grand public felicitation for the victors in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium at 10.30 am.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men in blue will be received at Mumbai airport by BCCI president Sharad Pawar when they land from South Africa shortly after 8 am. From the Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport’s international terminal at Sahar in suburban Andheri, the team members will be taken to Wankhede Stadium in an open bus. There will be a motorcade with police outriders and security personnel.

Waiting for the team will be politicians cutting across party lines and following past practice, the former captains of the Indian cricket team. According to BCCI, the Wankhede Stadium will be thrown open to the public on a first-come-first-served basis for the felicitation function.

Old timers recall that similar celebrations were organised only twice before in Mumbai’s history - in 1971, when the Indian cricket team under Ajit Wadekar snatched a historic Test series victory against England and in 1983, when Kapil Dev and his band of devils brought home the Prudential World Cup.

The BCCI is now hoping that only the rain gods do not play spoilsport to ruin the party. Mumbai has been lashed by heavy rains for the past week, a regular occurrence every year as September draws to a close.

The Maharashtra government has decided to provide security and clear rush-hour traffic from the airport to the Wankhede Stadium as the organisers expect huge crowds to welcome the heroes. “Traffic will be diverted on the main road leading from the airport to town,” says a spokesman for the traffic police department.

At the Wankhede Stadium, a felicitation awaits the victors where huge amounts of cash is expected to be showered on them. The BCCI, which is facing a tough challenge from the Indian Cricket League started by Subhash Chandra of Zee Television, will open its coffers to the victors to shore up its own standing among the players as much as in celebration of the victory over arch rivals, Pakistan.

The Maharashtra government has joined in the celebrations. It has announced a cash award of Rs 10 lakh each for Ajit Agarkar and Rohit Sharma, the two star batsmen hailing from Mumbai.

Apart from the $ 490,000 prize money for their victory, Team India has been promised a whopping Rs 8 crore bonus from BCCI. Pawar is said to have announced the bonus after watching the nail-biting finish.

A special award of Rs 1 crore awaits Yuvraj who is the first player and as of now the only player in the Twenty20 International Cricket to hit six sixes in an over. In addition, he will also be gifted a Porsche 911 sports car. The BCCI will appeal to the union finance ministry to waive customs duty on the car, similar to the offer made for Ravi Shastri’s Audi in 1987.