T20 World Champions India team players arrived in India with a bash and met Indian PM Narendra Modi on Thursday.
What the World Cup-winning Indian cricket team, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rahul Dravid, did during their 16-hour-long Air India flight from Barbados to Delhi:
The Long Wait and Special Flight:
The Indian cricket team had to wait for five days due to Hurricane Beryl, which left them stranded in Bridgetown and Barbados. The BCCI arranged a special chartered flight to bring the players back home as soon as the airport became functional after a two-day shutdown.
The Air India special charter flight, named “AIC24WC” (Air India Champions 24 World Cup), departed from Barbados around 4:50 am local time on Wednesday and arrived in Delhi at 6 am (IST) on Thursday after a non-stop 16-hour journey.
Travelling with the prestigious 🏆 on the way back home! 😍
🎥 WATCH: #TeamIndia were in excellent company during their memorable travel day ✈️👌 – By @RajalArora #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/0ivb9m9Zp1
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 4, 2024
High Energy and Celebrations:
Despite the long flight, the energy of the Indian cricketers remained 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 during the journey.
The flight also brought home around 20 Indian sports journalists who were stranded in the Caribbean islands.
BCCI requested that no filming or photography be done inside the flight, as the cricketers wanted everyone to behave like family and keep it a private affair.
Jubilation in the air 🥳
The #T20WorldCup Champions have arrived in New Delhi! 🛬
Presenting raw emotions of Captain @ImRo45 -led #TeamIndia's arrival filled with celebrations 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/EYrpJehjzj
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 4, 2024
Reliving India’s Epic Journey:
India won the T20 World Cup by defeating South Africa in a thrilling final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29. It was India’s first World Cup trophy since the ODI triumph under MS Dhoni in 2011.
The celebrations continued at the team hotel in Barbados, but plans to return home were halted due to the hurricane. BCCI made an SOS call to Air India, which promptly arranged a special charter flight to rescue the Indian cricketers.
It's home 🏆 #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/bduGveUuDF
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 4, 2024
In summary, the champions made the most of their 16-hour flight, sharing emotions, celebrating their victory, and ensuring a memorable journey back home.
