June 29, 2024: A day that will forever be etched in the annals of Indian cricket. The Men in Blue finally ended an 11-year wait, winning the T20 World Cup for only the second time by defeating South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling final. It was a moment the entire cricket-crazy nation of India had been waiting for over a decade. Time and again, they had come agonizingly close – reaching the knockouts of almost every ICC tournament between 2014 and 2023, with the previous year’s World Cup ending in one of India's most painful exits. But, as the saying goes, all's well that ends well.

The emotional scenes that followed India's triumph were inevitable. The sight of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya shedding tears of joy was among the most memorable moments in Indian cricket history. Many of these players had endured years of heartbreak, and to see their journey come full circle was one of the most rewarding experiences of their careers.

The euphoria of India's historic win extended all the way to their flight from Barbados to Delhi. When Hurricane Beryl left the entire Indian contingent - players, BCCI officials, and journalists - stranded in the West Indies for a few days, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah stepped in to organise a flight back to India for the players. After discussing the situation with captain Rohit Sharma, Shah made arrangements to include the Indian journalists on the flight as well.

Details from the flight have revealed some interesting anecdotes, such as the pilot's special compliment to Rahul Dravid, or how 'The Wall' gave up his business class seat to sleep in economy. There's also the playful moment when Rohit Sharma jokingly scolded a player. But did you know that during the flight, Kohli spoke about how he has changed and even kept a secret from Suryakumar Yadav? Renowned sports journalist Vimal Kumar, an independent reporter who was also on that flight, shared these never-before-heard stories from India's 'party' in the air during their journey from Barbados to Delhi.

"The entire flight back was like a party. When I was entering the flight, Rohit said jokingly 'don't get started with your camera’. Then I heard a voice from behind 'Yes, he goes everywhere with his camera'. I turned around and saw it was Virat Kohli. Kohli was in black. Both openers started teasing me, so Virat said 'We are openers; we will hit from the first ball'. Then Virat and I shared a joke which I can't disclose since it is personal. That was related to a third person whom I can't name. So we all started laughing. Surya was behind; when he came asking what the joke is about, I and Virat kept it as a secret from him," he shared on the 'Two Sloggers' podcast.

'What are you saying? My beard has gone all grey': Kohli

Some of the players were in business class, and after a month-long, hectic tournament, you'd expect everyone to catch up on sleep during the 15-hour flight, right? Surprisingly, not a single person slept - not even for a moment. Instead of sitting, the players were having a blast standing near the washroom for over an hour. Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja were laughing and shouting at the top of their voices, he further said.

The journalist has known Kohli since his Under-19 days, so when Virat, accompanied by Shah, approached him, the two spoke for a long time. As they talked, Kumar reflected on Kohli's journey – from an 18-year-old with immense promise to the world's biggest cricket superstar. Memories of their past flashed before the reporter's eyes, but deep down, he knew that despite the fame, the legendary status, and all that Kohli has achieved, he remains the same person he was 16 years ago.

Kohli, however, playfully disagreed. "What are you talking about? How have I not changed? Just look at my beard – it's gone all grey," he joked, pointing out how white someone's shoes were on the plane.

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