After days of delay due to bad weather in Barbados, the Indian cricket team is finally heading home. Led by Rohit Sharma, the team clinched the T20 World Cup 2024 title by defeating South Africa in the final on Saturday. They were scheduled to leave for India on Sunday, but Hurricane Beryl forced them to stay back. The hurricane threat led the government to shut down the airport, canceling all flights. Initially, it was reported that Team India would return home by Wednesday. However, new reports indicate further delays, with the team now expected to arrive in Delhi on Thursday morning.
Charter Flight Reaches Team India
According to PTI, the charter flight meant to bring the Indian team home has not yet reached Barbados. Air India’s special charter flight, named AIC24WC (Air India Champions 24 World Cup), is prepared to transport the Indian team, their support staff, players’ families, some board officials, and Indian media members back. All of these individuals have been stranded in Barbados for the past three days due to Hurricane Beryl.
World Champion Team’s Arrival Time
Rohit Sharma’s team won the title by a thrilling seven-run victory against South Africa in the final on Saturday. The charter flight departed from New Jersey, USA, on July 2, but its arrival in Barbados is still unconfirmed. According to the schedule, the flight was supposed to land in Barbados at 1:30 AM local time. It is expected to take off from Barbados at 4:30 AM local time on July 3, which is 2 PM Indian time. The flight to Delhi will take approximately 16 hours, with the World Champion Team India expected to land in Delhi by 6 AM Indian time on Thursday, provided there are no further delays.
Prime Minister Modi to Honor the Team
Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados resumed operations on Tuesday. The Indian team was initially supposed to depart around 6 PM local time on July 2, reaching Delhi by 7:45 PM Indian time on Wednesday. The players are set to be honored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the schedule for this event has not been finalized. Hurricane Beryl has now downgraded from a category 5 to a category 4 storm and is moving towards Jamaica.
Rajeev Shukla’s Tweet
On Tuesday, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla revealed that after being stranded in Barbados for three days due to the hurricane, the players were scheduled to fly to Delhi on Wednesday evening. He tweeted, “Thank God, Team India is finally departing from Barbados to Delhi. They were stranded there for three days due to the severe hurricane. BCCI has made all arrangements for the safe return of the players. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah is personally monitoring the entire situation.”
BCCI Shares a Video
The BCCI also shared an update on social media, revealing that the trophy is finally coming home. Hurricane Beryl did not cause significant damage in Barbados, and there were no casualties. The storm is slowly moving towards Jamaica, with warnings issued for Haiti and the Dominican Republic as well.
