Rahul Dravid ditched business class to sleep in the economy class on 16-hr Delhi-Barbados flight. Here’s why

Today, i.e, July 30 marks exactly a month and one day since India’s historic win at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados. It was a long wait, with a series of events in between, as MS Dhoni retired, while India waited for its turn to lift an ICC silverware. After 2011 and 2013, India had gone 11 years without an ICC title.

While June 29, 2024’s win came as a medicine to the pain, it also left a bitter aftertaste, as the biggest stalwarts of all time – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – announced their retirement from T20 internationals.

From the moment the T20 World Cup was won, the entire nation of 1.6 billion people of India awaited the arrival of their heroes. Although the players were supposed to return on July 1, 2024, Hurricane Beryl wreaked havoc as the players, support staff and the entire Indian media contingent were stranded in Bridgetown and Barbados after their flights were cancelled.

Hurricane Beryl was a Category 5 natural disaster that forced the city to shut down for two days. Eventually, BCCI secretary Jay Shah came to the rescue and arranged a Chartered Flight for everyone after airports resumed following a 48-hour-long halt.

‘Hardly anyone slept on the flight’

A Star Sports producer revealed interesting details of what happened in the Indian team’s return flight from Barbados, reported Hindustan Times. While ‘Indiranagar ka Gunda’ Rahul Dravid was seen scouting the economy class, for a place to sleep, elsewhere, Rohit Sharma was scolding someone.

“I think hardly anyone slept for more than six hours. That would have been the maximum. At no point was anyone quiet. Everyone was mingling around. Players came to meet the members of the press and few others,” said the producer.

The flight was filled with interactions, and Rohit Sharma came several times. “I believe at one moment, Rahul Dravid came up to the economy section to figure out if there was a 4-seater because he wanted to sleep. He came there from the business class and slept there for some time,” said the producer.

‘Rohit Sharma was scolding someone’

Soon after, Rohit Sharma was heard shouting, till Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant joined him for chatter.

“I remember I was sleeping and I could suddenly hear Rohit scolding somebody. I saw and he was standing right there. But Rohit, in his style was scolding jokingly. After that, Hardik came, Rishabh came and they were all having discussions with the media,” said the Star Sports producer.

The flight had taken off from Barbados at 4:00 AM local time the previous day. Upon deboarding, the team was ushered through a different exit, while thousands of people chased the Indian team’s bus after it exited.