Air India special flight arrives in Barbados to ferry T20 WC champions home

BRIDGETOWN (Barbados): A special Air India flight landed at Barbados Airport on Wednesday to ferry home the T20 cricket World Cup champions who have been stranded in West Indies due to airport shutdown in the wake of Hurricane Beryl.

The Rohit-Sharma-led team is expected to land in Delhi on Thursday. Ahead of their departure, the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) posted a video of the World Cup Trophy that India bagged with their win against South Africa. “It’s coming home” posted BCCI alongside the video.

The special chartered flight arranged by BCCI secretary Jay Shah will also be carrying members of Indian media who went to cover the tournament but got stranded due to the hurricane.

#WATCH | A special flight of Air India lands at Barbados Airport. Team India will fly back to the country on this flight. pic.twitter.com/5q8NaiIJGP

— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024

Just hours after their T20 WC win, Men in Blue were forced to stay confined inside their hotel rooms as the hurricane made landfall in Barbados on Sunday and a curfew was imposed for the safety of people. Electricity and water supply were also affected.

In the final match of the tournament, India won the toss and opted to bat first. After being reduced to 34/3, a counter-attacking partnership between Virat (76) and Axar Patel (47 in 31 balls, with one four and four sixes) of 72 runs restored India’s position in the game. A 57-run stand between Virat and Shivam Dube (27 in 16 balls, with three fours and a six) took India to 176/7 in their 20 overs.

Keshav Maharaj (2/23) and Anrich Nortje (2/26) were the top bowlers for SA. Marco Jansen and Aiden Markram took a wicket each.

In the run chase of 177 runs, Proteas was reduced to 12/2 and then a 58-run partnership between Quinton de Kock (39 in 31 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and Tristan Stubbs (31 in 21 balls, with three fours and a six) brought back SA into the game.

A half-century by Heinrich Klaasen (52 in 27 balls, with two fours and five sixes) threatened to take the game away from India. However, Arshdeep Singh (2/18), Jasprit Bumrah (2/20) and Hardik (3/20) made a fine comeback in death overs, keeping SA to 169/8 in their 20 overs.

Virat secured the ‘Player of the Match’ for his performance. Now, by securing their first ICC title since the Champions Trophy in 2013, India has ended their ICC trophy drought. (ANI)