Gautam Gambhir's three Bengali words "ami Kolkata r chele" (I am son of the city) on Monday night won the hearts of fans gathered at the NSC Bose International airport in Kolkata to welcome the newly crowned IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders.
Kolkata beat two-time defending champions Chennai Super Kings to win their maiden IPL title on Sunday.
Thousands of fans danced to drum beats and cheered the KKR players, who arrived at 10.30pm, after a two-hour flight delay.
The state ministers welcomed the team members with bouquets and garlands on a makeshift stage near the VIP gate No 5, close to the international terminal of the airport in Dum Dum.
Team CEO Venky Mysore hailed Gambhir and coach Trevor Bayliss for the success.
"Gambhir has done a fantastic job as a leader so was our coach...I am proud of the team. Thank you Kolkata for all the support," he said.
There will be a grand felicitation of the team at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday morning.
Team co-owner Juhi Chawla, said: "It feels really special to see you people here every time. It's because of your support we could win the title. I thank chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) for the grand welcome."
Shah Rukh Khan also joined in and said, "From today, KKR belongs to Bengal...Thank you very much for your support. We're extremely happy to see all of you here."
