Team India’s Return Delayed in Barbados Due to Hurricane Beryl

NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket team’s journey back home has been postponed because of Hurricane Beryl. The team, led by Rohit Sharma, recently won the T20 World Cup. Reports indicate that Hurricane Beryl, which started in the Atlantic, has become stronger, with winds reaching speeds of 210 kmph. The hurricane, now a Category 4 storm, was last seen about 570 km east-southeast of Barbados. It is expected that the airport in Bridgetown will stop operations by the evening.

Initially, the Indian team was supposed to fly from New York to India with a stopover in Dubai on an Emirates flight. However, due to the current situation, a source told PTI that a new plan is being made to arrange a charter flight to bring the team directly back to India. “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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also being considered,” the source said.

The Indian group includes players, coaching staff, family members, and officials, totaling around 70 people. On Saturday, India ended their 11-year wait for an ICC championship by defeating South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling match to win their second T20 World Cup title. Virat Kohli played a crucial role, scoring 76 runs off 59 balls, helping India reach 176/7. They then restricted South Africa to 169/8 to lift the trophy they last won in 2007.