Despite the heavy rain, cricket enthusiasts in Pune turned out in large numbers to join the ICC World Cup 2023 trophy parade on Tuesday.
The parade commenced at 1pm outside the JW Marriott Hotel and traversed through various parts of the city, including Senapati Bapat Road, Symbiosis College, BMCC College, and Fergusson College Road, ultimately culminating at the Agriculture College, where the trophy was displayed.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA and the president of the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Rohit Pawar led the parade along with former cricketers Kedar Jadhav and Chandu Borde.
As the parade made its way through the city, fans cheered and waved flags, eager to catch a glimpse of the trophy.
"It was unbelievable to see the World Cup trophy today since it's only given to the winners. We've seen it on TV, but seeing it in person for the first time was even more amazing," said Akshay Sonu, a fan.
Another fan, Kohinoor Indani, said, "My son is a cricketer, so we had to come here and take a photo with the trophy. It's so exciting to have it in Pune for the first time."
Bajrang Nimbalkar, MCA Coordinator, said, "I've seen many cricket matches, but seeing the World Cup trophy up close was a different experience altogether. It's a beautiful trophy, and it was amazing to see how excited people were to get a photo with it."
