A special Air India flight touched down at Barbados Airport on Wednesday to bring home the victorious T20 cricket World Cup champions, who had been stranded in the West Indies due to airport closures amid Hurricane Beryl’s impact.
According to the current timetable, the flight is scheduled to depart from Barbados at 4:30 AM (local time). The journey to Delhi will span approximately 16 hours, with the team expected to arrive at 6 AM (IST) on Thursday, provided there are no additional delays in departure.
Led by captain Rohit Sharma, the Indian team is anticipated to arrive in Delhi on Thursday. Prior to their departure, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a celebratory video of the World Cup Trophy, emphasizing their triumphant return with the caption, “It’s coming home.”
Stranded due to hurricane
BCCI secretary Jay Shah orchestrated the chartered flight, which will also accommodate Indian media personnel stranded while covering the tournament. Just hours after their T20 World Cup victory against South Africa, the Indian team found themselves confined to their hotel rooms as the hurricane necessitated a curfew for safety, affecting local services like electricity and water supply.
In the final match, India won the toss and chose to bat first, eventually posting a competitive 176/7 with Virat Kohli’s pivotal 76 and Axar Patel’s rapid 47. South Africa’s chase faltered under the pressure of India’s bowling attack, with Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya’s combined efforts restricting them to 169/8, securing India’s first ICC title since the 2013 Champions Trophy. Virat Kohli was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for his standout performance.