Team India stuck in Barbados as Hurricane Beryl disrupts travel plans for T20 World Cup winners
India's players pose for a group picture with the trophy as they celebrate after beating South Africa by 7 runs in the ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2024 final match, at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday
Kensington Oval featured its own share of Indian fans, who had travelled to Barbados to witness the Rohit Sharma-led side win the T20 World Cup trophy for the second time in history, after beating South Africa in the final by seven runs. Those Indians in Barbados cheered for Team India and celebrated their win as well, but for the Men in Blue, their true celebration plan awaits back home in India. While fans at home eagerly await the return of the newly-crowned champion side, India's return plans were disrupted owing to hurricane Beryl, as they remain stuck in Barbados.
Reports revealed that hurricane Beryl, originating in the Atlantic, had intensified with maximum sustained winds of 210 kmph. The Category 4 hurricane was about 570km east-southeast of Barbados and hence, reports indicated that the airport in Bridgetown will shut in the evening.
Based on India's travel plan, the side were slated to take the Emirates flight from New York via Dubai, but a BCCI source told news agency PTI that the team will now travel back home on a charter flight. The Indian contingent roughly consists 70 members, including support staff, families, and officials.
"The team was supposed to leave from here (Bridgetown) to New York and then reach India via Dubai. But now the plan is to get a charter flight straight from here to Delhi. A meeting with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also being considered," a source said.
Earlier on Saturday, Virat Kohli, who had a forgettable T20 World Cup campaign in the lead-up to the final, scoring just 75 runs in seven innings, carved out a sensational 59-ball 76 to guide India to 176 for seven. Heinrich Klaasen later threatened to chase down the total single-handedly with his 23-ball fifty, the quickest-ever by a batter in a T20 World Cup final, which reduced the equation to a 25 needed off 25. But India bounced back in the death overs with Hardik Pandya picking three wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah snared one as the Men in Blue restricted South Africa to 169/8 to lift the trophy they had last won in 2007.
It was also India's first world title since the 2011 ODI World Cup haul at home and first ICC title since lifting the Champions Trophy in 2013.
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