National cricket team stranded in storm-hit Sri Lanka after UAE tournament

The Maldivian National Cricket Team, which departed the UAE after competing in the ACC U19 Premier Cup, has been stranded in Sri Lanka due to the powerful storm affecting the country.

The Maldivian team, consisting of 14 players and three officials, started their journey on a Sri Lankan Airlines flight at 3:30 AM last night. The flight was scheduled to transit in Colombo and arrive in the Maldives today.

On the Bay of Bengal, a depression intensified into a typhoon, leading to significant flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka. As a result, flights at Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport were suspended due to runway flooding, causing the national team's flight to be diverted to Trivandrum, India, where it landed at approximately 8:35 AM.

"We were forced to stay inside the plane on the Trivandrum runway for about five hours," said Ishaaq, Vice President of the Cricket Board, who was traveling with the team.

"A natural disaster has occurred. No one is to blame for this. So, we had no other choice."

After air travel resumed from Colombo, the national team’s flight proceeded to Colombo this afternoon.

Speaking to Mihaaru News by phone from Sri Lanka, Ishaaq said the players and officials are currently at a hotel in Colombo.

"We are currently on our way to the hotel. If everything goes well, God willing, we will be in Malé tomorrow. All the players and officials are in good health, Alhamdulillah," said Ishaaq.

The Maldivian team was eliminated in the group stage of the tournament before the final on Sunday. They had trained briefly in Sri Lanka before traveling to Dubai.

Meanwhile, the storm Ditwah has led to severe floods and landslides in Sri Lanka, resulting in over 50 deaths, 21 missing individuals, and 14 injuries, prompting the country to declare a state of emergency.