Kolkata, Feb 27 (.) India and West Indies cricket team arrived in Kolkata on Friday evening for their T20 World Cup Super Eight clash on Sunday.
However, their arrivals were delayed due to a temporary closure of the city’s airport following an earthquake.
The Indian contingent, led by Gautam Gambhir, was travelling from Chennai and was slated to arrive around 4.30 pm.
However, their arrival was delayed due to an earthquake that struck Kolkata at 1.22 pm.
The tremor, measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale, prompted the temporary closure of the airport runway.
Airport authorities suspended operations as a precaution amid fears of aftershocks.
After a brief halt, the runway was reopened and flight movements resumed.
The aircraft carrying the Indian team eventually landed nearly an hour behind schedule.
Officials said the delay was purely a safety measure following standard aviation protocols during seismic activity.
The West Indies team, travelling from Ahmedabad, arrived later in the day. Since their landing was scheduled after normal operations resumed, their flight touched down on time without disruption.
The match, to be played at Eden Gardens, will determine which side advances to the semifinals from the group alongside the South Africa cricket team.
Both teams are staying at separate hotels along the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. They are set to begin training sessions at Eden Gardens from Saturday as preparations intensify for the decisive clash.
Meanwhile, Gambhir’s planned visit to the Kalighat temple on Friday had to be postponed because of the delayed arrival.
According to team sources, the Indian captain will now offer prayers at the temple on Saturday.
With qualification at stake and all three teams still in contention, Sunday’s match at Eden Gardens is expected to be a high-pressure contest with semifinal implications riding on the outcome. . SAG .