Team India forced to stay back in Barbados due to Hurricane Beryl, services affected at team hotel

The brand new T20 world champions, Rohit Sharma-led Team India, are stuck in Barbados as the airport has been shut down with Hurricane Beryl approaching the island. The services at the team hotel have also been impacted due to the threat of the storm. The Indian cricket team players and their families along with BCCI officials are currently stuck in the Hotel Hilton in Barbados.

The Men in Blue were expected to leave Barbados on Monday at 11 AM local time (8.30 PM IST) for New York from where they had a connecting flight to Dubai and then to India. However, due to the impending hurricane and the airport shutting down, the team has been forced to stay back in Barbados.

Beryl, originating in the Atlantic, is now a Category 4 hurricane with winds as strong as 210 kmph.

“Like everywhere, services are affected at the team hotel too. The airport is shut so no clarity on departure as of now because of the extremely dangerous hurricane. The BCCI is coordinating to ensure the entire contingent reaches back home safely,” a source told CricketNext.

The other worrying factor is that the hotel where India is staying is very close to the coast which is expected to be hit by a Category 4 Hurricane.

BCCI general secretary Jay Shah is also with the team at the hotel and is reportedly overseeing the efforts to help Men in Blue and family members escape the island. The BCCI is planning to arrange a direct charter from Barbados to Delhi but that will only be possible when the airport opens.

The Indian team could not travel on Sunday as it was the reserve day for the T20 World Cup final and they could not leave on Monday due to the storm.