What did World champs Rohit, Kohli, Bumrah, Dravid do in 16-hour-long Air India flight from Barbados to Delhi? Details

The wait was long but it was worth it. The World Cup-winning Indian cricket team finally landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi with the trophy in the early hours of Thursday. It took five days and then a 16-hour-long special flight for India’s World Cup heroes to reach home. The Rohit Sharma-led side, their family members, the coaching and support staff, BCCI officials were stranded in Bridgetown and Barbados because of Hurricane Beryl. The BCCI needed to arrange for a special chartered flight to bring the players back home as soon as the airport became functional after a two-day shutdown.

India beat South Africa by seven runs in a pulsating final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29 (Saturday) to win the T20 World Cup after 17 years. It was also their first World Cup trophy since the ODI triumph under MS Dhoni in 2011. Celebrations went on for a long time at the team hotel in Barbados, but India’s plans to return home were halted as a Category 5 hurricane ravaged the Caribbean islands.

After waiting for four days, BCCI made an SOS call to Air India to send for a charter flight to rescue the Indian cricketers as the weather forecast predicted another hurricane in the next 48 hours. The call was answered as Air India cancelled a scheduled flight from Newark to New Delhi to bring the champions home.

The Air India special charter flight AIC24WC — Air India Champions 24 World Cup — which left Barbados around 4:50am local time on Wednesday, arrived in Delhi at 6am (IST) on Thursday after a 16-hour non-stop journey.

It was a long flight but the energy of Indian cricketers was high. BCCI shared glimpses of the mood inside the flight in a video. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal shared their emotions.

What did the Indian cricketers do during the 16-hour-long flight from Barbados to New Delhi?

The flight also brought home 20-odd Indian sports journalists who were stranded at the Caribbean islands, who shared details of what the Indian cricketers did during the 16-hour-long flight journey.

Reporters of various news organisations on board that special Air India flight said BCCI made a special request not to film or click any photos inside the flight as the cricketers wanted everyone to behave like family and make it a private affair.

The Air India pilot made special announcements to thank the Indian team for ending the long wait for a World Cup. Midway through the journey, a special announcement was made to acknowledge and honour head coach Rahul Dravid, who will no longer be part of the Indian dressing room.

India Today reported the Indian players, their families and the support staff were housed in the business class but a number of them, including captain Rohit Sharma, vice-captain Hardik Pandya, batter Suryakumar Yadav, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, head coach Rahul Dravid made their way into the economy section to chat with them.

Player of the tournament, Jasprit Bumrah, was in fact seen baby sitting his son Angad to ensure the long flight journey did not become taxing.

BCCI also extended a special gesture to the media personnel on board. They were all allowed to hold the T20 World Cup trophy and take photos with it.

Hundreds of supporters, holding placards congratulating their favourites and waving the national flag, braved the weather to welcome the victorious side.

The players reached the ITC Maurya Hotel after landing in New Delhi. They are slated to meet PM Modi at his office. They will then fly to Mumbai. A roadshow is scheduled from Marin Drive to the Wankhede Stadium at 5 pm in an open bus.