Team India boards Air India chartered flight from Barbados, to reach New Delhi on Thursday morning

India's captain Rohit Sharma, center, and teammates celebrate with the winners trophy after defeating South Africa in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup final cricket match at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, Saturday, June 29, 2024.AP/PTI

A special Air India chartered flight has departed from Barbados Airport to bring India's victorious T20 World Cup 2024 team back home. Following their tournament triumph, the Men in Blue found themselves stranded in the country due to the disruptive effects of Hurricane Beryl across the Caribbean islands.

Due to the hurricane's severity, the Indian team was advised to remain in their hotels and has been in Barbados since their victory on June 29th. With the weather conditions finally improving in Barbados, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) organized a special charter flight to facilitate their return home.

The team commenced their journey earlier today and is scheduled to arrive in Delhi early morning on Thursday, July 4, where they will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi had earlier congratulated the team on their historic win during a phone call.

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah extended an invitation to Indian media personnel stranded in Barbados to travel back with the team. Fans eagerly await the return of Team India following their second T20 World Cup victory. In the final on June 29th at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados, the Men in Blue defeated South Africa by seven runs.

Opting to bat first, India posted a competitive total of 176/7 in their allotted 20 overs, led by Virat Kohli's top score of 76 runs off 59 balls. In response, South Africa managed 169/8 in their 20 overs, with Hardik Pandya's figures of 3/20 crucially defending 15 runs in the final over.

This victory marked the end of India's 11-year ICC Trophy drought, with their last major title being the 2013 Champions Trophy in England, also under Dhoni's captaincy. Despite enduring five final losses since then, the team displayed resilience against South Africa, securing a thrilling win that sparked jubilation nationwide.

The entire country eagerly awaits the return of the World Champions, who fulfilled their promise to 'raise the national flag' in Barbados with a resounding victory in the final.