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First official welcome ceremony
Less than 24 hours after creating history by winning the World Cup at the Wankhede stadium, the triumphant Indian team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni was felicitated by President Pratibha Patil at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on Sunday.
- 'We'd set our eyes on WC two years ago'
This was their first official welcome ceremony to celebrate the team's victory in the World Cup final after 28 years.
Attired smartly in striped team T-Shirts, the 15 members of the team and other support staff drove down in two buses from their hotel to the Raj Bhavan, as hundreds of fans lined up on both sides of the route to see their favourite players.
Dhoni's new look
Before the arrival of the President, the entire team, with captain Dhoni sporting a new bald look posed with the World Cup for a photograph.
Later, they posed for a picture with the President, Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan, state Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and International Cricket Council chief Sharad Pawar.
The President, who had watched the rip-roaring final at the stadium last evening, shook hands with all the team members as Dhoni introducing each member to her.
Tendulkar declines to speculate on future
Sachin Tendulkar declined to speculate whether he would play in the 2015 World Cup, saying that there was no point in looking "too far ahead".
- Images: Sixth time lucky for Tendulkar
Describing India's World Cup win as a dream he had been chasing for 21 years, Tendulkar said that he could not sleep on Saturday night because he could not believe that India had really become world champions.
Asked if this would be his last World Cup and whether he would play in the next edition in 2015 to be held in Australia and New Zealand, Tendulkar replied, "All I will say is that it is a great moment, focus on this, enjoy this rather than looking back or too far ahead."
'Winning the WC is more important than my hundred'
Asked if he was disappointed at missing a chance to make his 100th international century, Tendulkar said that was not relevant. The World Cup win was big and should be savoured.
Tendulkar's comments came in the backdrop of some speculation that he might consider retiring from ODI cricket so as to extend his Test career.
Earlier, speaking in a television programme, World Cup winning captains Imran Khan and Allan Border and legendary Vivian Richards, said a decision on whether to quit the shorter format of the game should be left to Tendulkar.
They noted that he had been playing some of his best cricket in all formats of the game in the last two years.