Victorious Indian cricketers return home, get a week off ahead of two-month-long IPL

Head coach Gautam Gambhir and pacer Harshit Rana landed in Delhi on Monday night. Virat Kohli had left the team hotel with wife Anushka Sharma right after the team returned from the Dubai International Stadium.

New Delhi: The Indian cricketers, led by Rohit Sharma, have made a quiet return home following their triumph in the Champions Trophy in Dubai.

After leading India to their second ICC title in nine months, skipper Rohit landed back in Mumbai on Monday night.

The squad members have got a week off before they join their respective IPL teams ahead of the tournament beginning March 22.

"All the players with families left from Dubai on Monday. There are some players who have stayed back for a couple of days," a BCCI source told PTI.

With players preferring to rest ahead of the two-month-long IPL, the BCCI did not plan a felicitation for the team like it did when the squad returned from Barbados following the win in the T20 World Cup.

The players had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their return from Barbados via a special flight back in July.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir and pacer Harshit Rana landed in Delhi on Monday night. Superstar Virat Kohli had left the team hotel with wife Anushka Sharma right after the team returned from the Dubai International Stadium late on Sunday night.

Shreyas Iyer, who played a big role in the middle order, will captain Punjab Kings and will join the team on March 16.

India beat New Zealand by four wickets to win their third Champions Trophy. They were the only unbeaten side in the eight-team tournament.

Though Pakistan were the tournament hosts, India played all their games in Dubai as per the agreed hybrid model.