As Indians across the globe got into the festive mood to celebrate Diwali, members of the Indian cricket team, currently in Australia to participate in the ICC T20 World Cup, ushered in the festivities in Sydney today.
After India beat Pakistan in a thriller, thanks largely to a swashbuckling, unbeaten 82 by former captain Virat Kohli, in their opening match of the tournament in Melbourne last night, the Indian team travelled to Sydney for their next engagement against the Netherlands on Thursday.
Commenting on India's fabulous win over arch-rivals Pakistan in Melbourne and how Sydney was all set to soak up the festival of lights, the Indian Consulate in Sydney tweeted today: "After a Viraat Sunday, Sydney all geared up to witness grand Diwali."
To mark the occasion, the iconic Sydney Opera House was lit up in crimson red today.
Several members of the Indian team - including Virat Kohli, captain Rohit Sharma, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal - took to social media to post greetings and visuals to mark the festival.
Conveying his Diwali greetings, Kohli tweeted today: "A very Happy Diwali to you all. May the festival of lights bring you peace, joy and prosperity."
The festivities began in Sydney on Saturday and will continue until Wednesday. Sydney, like most other major Australian cities, has a large presence of South Asians and a sizeable number of Indian expatriates for whom Diwali is the biggest festival on the calendar.
Hardik Pandya Achieves Historic First. Not Even Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli Or Rohit Sharma Have It India's U19 Stars Of IPL Mega Auction: Who Will Be Next 'Virat Kohli' Of The League? PCB Says No Meeting With ICC, BCCI On Champions Trophy Row. World Body Responds Election Results 2024 LIVE: With Thumping Win, Maharashtra Decides Real NCP, Sena Election Results: Mahayuti Leads In Maharashtra "Moving Towards One Party, One Nation": Uddhav Thackeray On BJP Victory Robin Sharma -- Meet The Man Behind Eknath Shinde's Winning Campaign "Ek Hain Toh Safe Hain": PM Modi On 'Biggest Message' Of Polls Left Naked, Reality Show Contestant Survived For 15 Months Eating Dog Food Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.