The Indian Cricket Team’s Journey Home After T20 World Cup Victory

After a thrilling victory in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa in Barbados, the Indian cricket team found themselves stranded for three days due to a category 4 hurricane. However, they have finally embarked on their journey back to Delhi on a chartered flight from Barbados’ Grantley Adams International Airport. The special Air India charter flight, named AIC24WC (“Air India Champions 24 World Cup”), took off around 4:50 am local time and is scheduled to touch down in the Indian capital on Thursday at approximately 6:20 am (IST).

Captain Rohit Sharma delighted fans by sharing a photo on Instagram, posing with the trophy inside the aircraft, captioned “Coming home.” The flight, arranged by the BCCI, accommodates the Indian squad, support staff, players’ families, board officials, and members of the travelling media.

The return journey started from New Jersey, USA, and landed in Barbados around 2 am local time. Airport staff were amazed by the size of the Boeing 777, as they had never seen such a large aircraft at Grantley Adams International Airport, which had only recently resumed operations after the hurricane.

Initially scheduled to depart on July 2, the departure was delayed due to the late arrival of the plane. Now, the players are looking forward to being honored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon their return. Plans are also underway for a road-show in Mumbai to celebrate the team’s triumph, ending an 11-year trophy drought.

While the team makes their way back home, Hurricane Beryl is now moving towards Jamaica, adding an extra element of adventure to their journey.