By: Aditya Ahuja
Indian cricket fans might have to wait a little longer to see their T20 World Cup-winning heroes back in the country as the Rohit Sharma-led side’s travel plans have been impacted by a hurricane in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The World Cup-winning contingent has been forced to stay inside their hotel as the Barbados airport has been closed due to Hurricane Beryl intensifying on Sunday.
Even worse, the Hilton, where India is staying, is close to the coast and is likely to be hit by a Category 3 hurricane. The hurricane is predicted to strike Barbados on Monday morning.
The newly-crowned champions were scheduled to leave Barbados on Monday, but the team will now remain in Bridgetown for an additional day.
The team was supposed to fly to New York and then take Emirates flights to Mumbai. However, BCCI managers are now making alternative arrangements, with BCCI secretary Jay Shah personally overseeing the plans.
“Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, intensified into a ‘very dangerous’ Category 3 storm on Sunday morning as it churned toward Barbados and the Windward Islands, bringing destructive hurricane-force winds and a life-threatening storm surge,” according to an official of the National Hurricane Center.
The entire group, including support staff, families, and officials, consists of about 70 members, requiring a large aircraft to accommodate everyone. Such aircraft are not readily available in the Caribbean, so efforts are underway to secure one from the United States.