Bhubaneswar: The ongoing wave of IndiGo flight cancellations has forced India and South Africa players and officials to switch to other airlines and charter flights to reach Bhubaneswar in time for theT20 International, scheduled for December 9 at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
While Hardik Pandya travelled to Bhubaneswar by an Air India flight on Saturday night, the rest of the Indian contingent is expected to reach the state capital on Sunday.
Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) officials confirmed that special arrangements have been made to ferry the cricketers, who played in Saturday’s ODI in Visakhapatnam. The teams were earlier expected to reach Bhubaneswar between 5:30 and 8:30 on December 7.
According to sources at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), an Akasa Air Boeing aircraft, operating on the Bengaluru–Bhubaneswar route, will arrive in the Odisha capital on Sunday morning. It is scheduled to make two dedicated trips to Visakhapatnam to bring the remaining players and support staff, allowing them to take part in practice sessions at Barabati Stadium before the match.
Team India is scheduled to participate in practice sessions at Barabati Stadium from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM and Team South Africa from 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM on Monday.
Meanwhile, apart from the 17 flights cancelled on Saturday, passengers of 20 other IndiGo flights (10 departures and 10 arrivals) began rec
eiving SMS confirmations of their rescheduled timings, signalling a gradual but steady resumption of operations.
Odia Cuisines For Players
Altogether 120 rooms at Mayfair have been kept ready for the players and officials of the two teams, who will be accorded a welcome with performances by artistes.
The hotel is expected to prepare special meals for the players, including authentic Odia dishes, after discussions with the managers of both teams.
For breakfast, the players will likely be served traditional cakes, sweets, and other items. Lunch and dinner menus are expected to feature seafood, millet-based dishes, dry fruits, steamed preparations, and barbecue options, sources said.
A three-tier security arrangement along with comprehensive fire safety measures have been put in place to manage the large crowd expected at the iconic venue and ensure a seamless and incident-free match day.
As many as nine ASPs, 40 DSPs, 65 inspectors, 325 SIs, 38 havildars/constables, 208 APR constables, 73 women constables, one ODRAF, 2 STU teams and 70 platoons of police force will be deployed for security at Barabati Stadium and management of traffic.
A detailed advisory has been issued for the spectators, said Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania.
“Around 350 fire service personnel will be deployed inside and around the stadium. Twenty-one fire tenders will be positioned strategically, and seven temporary fire stations will be set up exclusively for the match,” said Director General of Fire Services, Sudhanshu Sarangi after inspecting the stadium and reviewing its fire preparedness.
He also assessed exits, emergency access routes, fire equipment, and crowd movement areas to identify any potential vulnerabilities.