Team India has reached its destination, Trinidad for a three-match ODI series against the West Indies. The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has spent a massive amount on a chartered flight to take the players there for the series.
As per a report in The Times Of India, BCCI spent Rs 3.5 Cr on the players’ travel from Manchester to Trinidad. The BCCI managed to arrange a chartered flight for the players as the Indian contingent was a big one and players’ wives were also traveling with them and it was not possible to book a commercial flight for all of the players, said the report.
According to the source, “The BCCI spent Rs 3.5 crore on the chartered flight which took Team India from Manchester on Tuesday afternoon to Port of Spain (the capital of Trinidad and Tobago) by 11.30 pm IST. The reason a chartered flight was booked for the team was not Covid-19. It’s difficult to book so many tickets in a commercial flight-the Indian contingent includes 16 players and members of the support staff, including head coach Rahul Dravid. There are players’ wives who have traveled to the Caribbean too”.
Trinidad – WE ARE HERE! 👋😃#TeamIndia | #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/f855iUr9Lq
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 20, 2022
He also added, “Normally, in a commercial flight, this expense would’ve been around Rs 2 crore. A business class ticket from Manchester to Port of Spain would be around Rs 2 lakh. A chartered flight is more expensive, but it’s a logical option to take. Most top football teams have a charter now”.