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'Representing India is not a joke.'
The joyful scenes that followed India's win will remain etched in the memories of those who were at the stadium forever.
Never before had Indian expatriates celebrated a victory with such enthusiasm.
After the final, when the stadium's public address system played the Lungi Dance song, many fans danced to the tune.
Even the Indian players joined in, dancing to various songs.
As Indian rap songs echoed beyond the stadium, fans continued dancing all the way home.
Rohit Sharma made it a point to share the joy of winning with journalists as well.
In Barbados, after winning the ICC T20 World Cup, he had posed with reporters and even autographed their media accreditation cards.
When asked by this reporter about the key factor behind India's dominance in both formats, Sharma gave a calculated response: "It's just the enjoyment of playing for India. Representing India is not a joke. Everyone wants to do it with a lot of integrity and pride. So, when they step onto the field, they carry that pride with them. Results are bound to follow."
In a candid moment, Rohit remarked, "India is a bloody good team."
At the end of the post-match press conference, Rohit addressed speculation about his retirement, saying, "I'm not going to retire from this format, just to make sure no rumours are spread moving forward."
A journalist then jokingly remarked that Rohit should have also clarified another rumour --whether he was planning to go on a diet or indulge in his favorite Aloo Paratha.
This led to a discussion about a recent comment by a Congress spokesperson, who had suggested Rohit was too overweight to be a sportsman.
Another reporter quipped that if Rohit could hit sixes and play such powerful shots, he should eat more Aloo Parathas.
Someone even recalled how, during a 1997 India-Pakistan match in Toronto, Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq had confronted a spectator for calling him Aloo.
The conversation ended with a remark that Rohit's match-winning knock in the final should be dedicated to the Congress spokesperson.
Hardik Pandya is an incredibly expressive cricketer. After winning the Champions Trophy final, he entered the press conference room in the white winners' jacket, speaking freely about his performance.
He talked about how he had been hitting sixes since he was 14, adding that the only difference between then and now was that he has developed more power now.
"There is nothing special about my hard-hitting," he said. "If the ball is in my arc, I will hit it."
Hardik shook hands with every reporter and remarked that there was "nothing like making people happy by winning."
Like a trained dancer, he had danced for a long time after the victory.
His celebratory dance with former Indian opener and commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu has gone viral.
K L Rahul must be growing tired of repeated questions about his role as a wicketkeeper-batsman.
When the topic resurfaced after the Champions Trophy final, he responded: "When people ask me when I started wicket-keeping, I tell them, 'Hey, I was always a wicket-keeper!' But I rarely got opportunities to keep for the team.
"When I began playing cricket, I was a wicket-keeper-batsman, but over time, I focused more on my batting. In 2019, when the team needed a 'keeper, I took on the responsibility, and since then, it has been an important part of my role."
He was also asked about adapting to different batting positions, sometimes opening the innings and other times batting lower down the order.
"Cricket is a team game, and you need to understand your role and perform accordingly. I'm happy that I've been given different roles, and I've worked hard to deliver in each one."
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com