The victorious Indian cricket team’s return home has been delayed significantly as a hurricane-like situation in Barbados has forced the authorities to shut down air travel, forcing the players to remain indoors in their hotels. Rohit Sharma and his men defeated South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final on Saturday and were expected to fly out on Sunday. But, even on Monday, there’s no clarity over their return schedule, with adverse weather conditions forcing them to remain inside the team hotel.
As per a report in India Today, the Barbados airport had to be shut down, with all flights being cancelled due to hurricane Beryl’s expected arrival. The said hurricane is Category 4 (the second most severe) and hence no risk can be taken with regards to air travel. The travel plans, hence, can’t be finalized over the next 24 hours.
As per a report in the Washington Post, Beryl is anticipated to hit the Windward Islands with winds exceeding 130 mph. The Hurricane Center reports that the development could see a storm surge between 6 to 9 feet while rainfall in the range of 3 to 6 inches could be expected.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah was asked about a potential felicitation ceremony for the players in India. While he admitted that certain arrangements need to be made, but it will all happen once the team jets off from Barbados to India. For now, everyone remains stuck.
“Like you we are also stuck here. After the travel plans are clear, we will think about the felicitation,” Shah told PTI.
A few players from India’s T20 World Cup squad are also scheduled to travel to Zimbabwe for a 5-match T20I series, beginning on July 06. The delayed return home has caused a bit of a stir in those plans as well. In all likeliness, certain players break will be cut short as another international assignment is right on the horizon.
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