In a heartwarming gesture, Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has extended a lifeline to Indian media personnel stranded in Barbados. Shah has arranged for them to accompany the Indian cricket team on a special chartered flight from Barbados to Delhi. The situation arose due to the high alert in Barbados since June 30, triggered by the looming threat of Hurricane Beryl.
The Indian cricket team clinched a thrilling victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 final, narrowly defeating South Africa by seven runs on June 29 in Barbados. Despite their triumph, the team faced an unexpected delay in returning home as the Grantley Adams International Airport was closed due to the hurricane threat.
This closure also stranded several Indian media personnel who had traveled to the Caribbean to cover the prestigious event. However, relief came when India Today’s Vikrant Gupta announced that Jay Shah had taken the initiative to evacuate them.
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Vikrant Gupta expressed his gratitude on social media, stating, “Special thanks to @JayShah for taking the initiative and ‘rescuing’ stranded Indian media in Barbados. As a gesture, the 20-odd media contingent has been offered to fly out with the Indian team on the special chartered flight from Barbados to Delhi! The special flight will take off in a few hours and land in Delhi around 4-5 Thursday morning.”
Special thanks to @JayShah for taking the initiative and ‘rescuing’ stranded Indian media in Barbados. As a gesture, the 20-odd media contingent have been offered to fly out with the Indian team on the special chartered flight from Barbados to Delhi!
The special flight will take…— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) July 3, 2024
The contingent is expected to arrive in Delhi early Thursday morning, where they are likely to be greeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The arrival is anticipated to draw large crowds of enthusiastic fans eager to celebrate the Indian team’s recent success. The victory has ignited a wave of euphoria among Indian cricket fans, as Rohit Sharma’s squad ended an 11-year drought for an ICC title.
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Looking ahead, Indian cricket fans are gearing up to support their team in an upcoming five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. This series marks the beginning of a new era for Indian cricket, with Shubman Gill leading a relatively inexperienced side. This transition follows the retirements of senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja from T20 internationals. The team is poised to navigate this change and build a new legacy in the shortest format of the game.
