Rohit Sharma’s wife, Ritika Sajdeh, shared heartbreaking visuals of the devastation that Hurricane Beryl caused in Bridgetown and Barbados. The Indian team has been stuck there for three days since winning the T20 World Cup, beating South Africa in the final on June 29. It was only early on Wednesday morning (IST) that the Bridgetown airport is likely to be functional.
Team India’s 70-member contingent, including cricketers, their families, the support staff and BCCI officials, are set to board a special charter flight arranged by the board to fly out of the island. They are likely to reach India by Wednesday night.
But before that, Ritika, who was with Rohit throughout the tournament, shared photographs on her Instagram story highlighting the hurricane’s impact on marine life. The Indian captain’s wife shared two photographs; one appeared to be the corpse of a fish and the other of turtle eggs.
Earlier, she shared an emotional note on the importance of winning the T20 World Cup in Rohit Sharma’s life.
“Ro, I know what this has meant to you. This format, this cup, these men, this journey and this entire process of getting what you’ve always dreamed of. I know how hard these last few months have been for you. I know the toll it’s taken on your heart, mind and body but watching you achieve your dream was incredibly emotional and inspiring.
“As your wife, I am immensely proud of what you’ve achieved and the impact you’ve had on this game and the people who love it; but as someone who loves your game I’m sad to see you leave any part of it behind. I know you’ve thought long and hard about what’s best for this team but that doesn’t make watching you leave that part of it behind any easier. I love you so much, and I am so incredibly proud to call you mine!” she wrote, along with a photo of Rohit holding the trophy.
Rohit became only the third Indian captain after Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni to win a World Cup. This was India’s first T20 World Cup win after 17 years and the first ICC trophy in 11 years. Rohit was the highest run-scorer for India in the tournament. His impact at the top of the order and captaincy decisions on the field proved to be a major factor in ending India’s trophy drought.
The World Cup win was so emotionally draining that Rohit, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from T20Is. However, they will continue to be available for selection in ODIs and Tests.
Hurricane Beryl’s impact on Caribbean islands
Meanwhile, Hurricane Beryl barreled toward Jamaica as a powerful Category 4 storm after battering smaller islands in the eastern Caribbean.
The unusually early hurricane felled power lines and unleashed flash floods. It has so far claimed at least three lives.
Beryl, the 2024 Atlantic season’s first hurricane and the earliest storm on record to reach the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, hit St. Vincent and the Grenadines especially hard, according to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.
Late on Monday, Beryl was at Category 5 strength, but weakened slightly on Tuesday.
“The hurricane has come and gone, and it has left in its wake immense destruction,” he said. On one island in the Grenadines archipelago, Union Island, 90% of homes had been “severely damaged or destroyed,” he added.
The prime minister confirmed one death, and said more fatalities could be confirmed in the coming days.
