What started as a celebration of India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 victory turned chaotic in Hyderabad on Sunday night, forcing the police to resort to a lathi charge to control unruly crowds. Jubilant cricket fans flooded the streets after India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the final in Dubai, but traffic disruptions and reckless behaviour led to police intervention.
The biggest gathering was in Dilsukh Nagar’s Chaitanyapuri area, where hundreds of young fans, including hostel students, came out in large numbers to celebrate. Many climbed onto vehicles, blocked roads, and burst crackers, creating a massive traffic jam near the Metro station. Despite repeated warnings from the police, the celebrations continued for hours, bringing vehicular movement to a halt.
Lathi-Charge to Disperse Crowd
As the crowd refused to budge, the Hyderabad police initiated a mild lathi charge to disperse the gathering. Officers first used microphones to request fans to clear the roads, but when some continued dancing atop vehicles and blocking traffic, the police took stern action. Videos of the lathi charge soon went viral, showing fans running as the police tried to restore order.
Traffic police officials confirmed that the situation became unmanageable when some individuals refused to cooperate and continued blocking roads. “We had no option but to use force to disperse the crowd and restore normalcy,” said a senior police official, according to a OneIndia Telugu report.
Nationwide Celebrations Amid Chaos in Hyderabad
While the lathi charge grabbed headlines in Hyderabad, celebrations erupted across the country after Team India’s historic win. Fans in Mumbai, Delhi and several other cities danced, burst crackers and distributed sweets.
An exceptional game and an exceptional result!
Proud of our cricket team for bringing home the ICC Champions Trophy. They’ve played wonderfully through the tournament. Congratulations to our team for the splendid all round display.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 9, 2025
The victory marked India’s third ICC Champions Trophy title, making it the most successful team in the tournament’s history. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the players, calling the win “exceptional game.” President Droupadi Murmu and several political leaders also praised the team’s achievement.
