Fans stand on top of a car on the Delhi street. (PTI)

New Delhi, April 3: Girls danced on their boyfriends’ bikes, some knelt to plead with spoilsport police officers, and the physically challenged were out on their tricycles.

All of Lutyens’ Delhi seemed to have hit the streets as soon as Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed the winning six. Hundreds of frenzied young men were racing towards India Gate, riding triples on their motorbikes at almost 100kmph or holding the Tricolour aloft atop their car roofs.

On Janpath, revellers handed out ice creams to the disabled and pavement dwellers. Much to their dismay, though, the police and the CRPF had cordoned off India Gate.

“We can’t risk anyone touching the Amar Jawan Jyoti,” a CRPF constable explained. Rajpath remained empty with only a police van patrolling it between the barricades.

Kanwaljeet, a youth who had decided he would drink at India Gate if India won, dodged the police and opened a bottle of whisky hiding in the bushes 100 metres from the monument. That’s the closest he got.

The carousers then gathered 500 metres away at Bikaner House, which serves as a terminal for the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation. Young men and women danced under the amber streetlights to bhangra beats blaring from car stereos. They burst crackers and waved the Tricolour. Some wept; others hugged passers-by.

“Hum jeet gaye, we won,” cried Rahul Sethi, an IIT student.

Passengers boarding buses to Rajasthan joined the celebrations, as no bus could leave though the jammed roads. “I was trying to go to Jaipur, but now I’m enjoying the celebrations,” said Kailash Wadia.

Despite around 5,000 policemen, including 600 patrol motorcycles, in central Delhi, the police were vastly outnumbered. The crowd thronged a barricade at Pandara Road, begging sub-inspector A.K. Sharma to let them through.

A young man claimed to be the son of an inspector-general, promising to get Sharma “taken care of” if the officer did not let him pass, only to be pushed pack by Sharma.

But when a girl almost knelt down at the barricade to plead with him, the sub-inspector relented on condition that they left their cars where they were.

“Kya karein? Look at how many men I have (seven). Look at the crowd (around 500),” Sharma said.

The celebrations, though reeking with alcohol, didn’t keep female fans away. Shalini Ahuja danced atop her boyfriend’s bike, waving the Tricolour.

“Arrey roz World Cup thodi jeettey hain. Besides, Arun’s here,” she said pointing at her boyfriend who nervously tried to steer his bike through the flags, fireworks and frenzied fans.

Hari Singh and his wife, who had come to see their son burst crackers, stood on the pavement with many other families. Although a bit apprehensive about the crowds, Singh said this was one night they had to be at India Gate.

Ice cream carts and illuminated-horn vendors made brisk sales. A large number of foreigners, including photographers for foreign publications, joined in the bhangra and flag-waving.

“I don’t know a thing about cricket, but this night will go down in history,” said Kristina, a German.

As the traffic snarls spread, people got off their cars and celebrated on the roads. Police tow-truck drivers, stuck in the traffic, sat and watched the fun.

“Facebook pe lagana hai,” said Maureen, a young girl, after posing with a few air force personnel. All the alcohol did lead to a few traffic violations, though, the most serious being a head-on collision between two cars on Aurangzeb Road.

Personnel guarding installations like the air chief’s residence and the Congress headquarters, both in Akbar Road, were tense but happy. A sentry who said he had listened to the radio commentary saluted every Tricolour that whizzed by.

“Kya victory hai boss, yeh raat yaad rahegi,” he said.