Rishabh Pant appeared in high spirits, smiling and seemingly cracking a joke at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) in Barbados. Members of the Indian cricket team were seen boarding their team bus upon arrival. India is set to play against South Africa on June 29 at the Kensington Oval.
A video shared by ANI captured several key Indian players at the airport, including Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Axar Patel. Following them were Virat Kohli, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was seen walking alone. Roger Binny, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), was also present.
Head Coach Rahul Dravid appeared focused as he moved towards the bus, briefly inspecting the interior. Rishabh Pant, donning a Caribbean hat and notably without any luggage, followed. He smiled at the camera and shared a light-hearted moment with a security officer before boarding the bus.
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Earlier, a landing mishap involving a small private aircraft at GAIA caused the South African team, their families, commentators, match officials, and ICC officials to be stranded at the Trinidad airport. The Barbados airport was temporarily closed for inspections. Pilots learned about the runway closure in Bridgetown just before taking off from Trinidad.
#WATCH | Indian cricket team arrived in Barbados ahead of their T20 World Cup Final match against South Africa on 29 June pic.twitter.com/6QTaiu9aVT
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2024
“It appeared that the landing gear of the private aircraft did not deploy, but it is currently on the runway at GAIA safely,” Sharleen Brown, Corporate Communication Specialist with GAIA, said in a statement to ESPNcricinfo. Fortunately, the two passengers and the pilot involved in the incident were unharmed.
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The upcoming match on June 29 between South Africa and India will be historic, as one team will secure an undefeated T20 World Cup title for the first time. Both the Proteas and the Men in Blue have maintained an unbeaten streak throughout the tournament. In a departure from tradition, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has scheduled the final on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday. This decision adds another layer of anticipation to an already exciting event.
