T20 World Cup 2024: When will Team India return from hurricane-hit Barbados? Details inside

A fallen tree lays on the Browns Beach after after the passage of Hurricane Beryl (Pic: AFP)

The T20 World Cup 2024-winning Indian cricket team finally departed for Delhi aboard a charter flight from the Grantley Adams International airport here on Wednesday after being stranded here for three days due to a category 4 hurricane.

The Air India special charter flight AIC24WC -- Air India Champions 24 World Cup -- took off around 4:50am local time and will land in the Indian national capital on Thursday at around 6:20 am (IST).

"Coming home," posted India captain Rohit Sharma on Instagram, posing with the trophy in the aircraft before it took off.

The Indian squad, its support staff, the players' families and some board officials are aboard the flight along with members of the travelling media contingent. The flight has been arranged by the BCCI.

The Rohit Sharma-led side won the title after pulling off a thrilling seven-run win over South Africa in the final on Saturday.

The Boeing 777, which took off from New Jersey, USA on July 2, landed in Barbados around 2am local time and the airport staff here stated that they had not seen a bigger plane land at the Grantley Adams International airport, which resumed its operations on Tuesday.

Earlier, the Indian team was scheduled to leave around 6pm local time on July 2 and arrive at 7.45pm (IST) on Wednesday but the departure was delayed as the plane landed late.

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The players are set to be felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi within hours of returning to the country. Plans are also afoot to have a road-show in Mumbai to honour the triumphant team, which ended a trophy drought of 11 years.

In the final match of the tournament, India won the toss and opted to bat first. After being reduced to 34/3, a counter-attacking partnership between Virat (76) and Axar Patel (47 in 31 balls, with one four and four sixes) of 72 runs restored India's position in the game. A 57-run stand between Virat and Shivam Dube (27 in 16 balls, with three fours and a six) took India to 176/7 in their 20 overs.

Keshav Maharaj (2/23) and Anrich Nortje (2/26) were the top bowlers for SA. Marco Jansen and Aiden Markram took a wicket each.

In the run chase of 177 runs, Proteas was reduced to 12/2 and then a 58-run partnership between Quinton de Kock (39 in 31 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and Tristan Stubbs (31 in 21 balls, with three fours and a six) brought back SA into the game. A half-century by Heinrich Klaasen (52 in 27 balls, with two fours and five sixes) threatened to take the game away from India. However, Arshdeep Singh (2/18), Jasprit Bumrah (2/20) and Hardik (3/20) made a fine comeback in death overs, keeping SA to 169/8 in their 20 overs.

(With agency inputs)