Zimbabwe, West Indies team stuck in India amid travel chaos

Both sides exited the tournament on Sunday at the end of the Super Eights stage

Last updated:
Jai Rai, Assistant Editor
Umpire Alex Wharf gestures as West Indies' Roston Chase, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph and Shimron Hetmyer congratulate India's Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Abhishek Sharma for their team's win at the end of their 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup Super Eights match in the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on March 1, 2026.
Umpire Alex Wharf gestures as West Indies' Roston Chase, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph and Shimron Hetmyer congratulate India's Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Abhishek Sharma for their team's win at the end of their 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup Super Eights match in the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on March 1, 2026.
AFP

Dubai: The West Indies and Zimbabwe teams and its support staff at the T20 World Cup have been stranded in India, unable to leave because of airspace closures and travel chaos due to the ongoing tensions in Middle East.

Both sides exited the tournament on Sunday at the end of the Super Eights stage and had been scheduled to fly home from India via the UAE.

But with tensions rising in the region, the UAE airspace was closed disrupting hundreds of flights in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

“The Zimbabwe senior men’s team remains safe and well in India,” Zimbabwe Cricket said in a statement late on Monday.

“The squad was scheduled to return home via Dubai, but travel plans have been affected by the evolving situation in the Middle East, which has disrupted key transit routes.”

Cricket West Indies said it was “working closely with the International Cricket Council (ICC), relevant governmental authorities and airline partners to secure the earliest possible safe travel arrangements for the squad and support staff”.

South Africa face New Zealand at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the first semi-final on Wednesday, while England take on India at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.

The final will be played in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

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Jai Rai
Jai RaiAssistant Editor
Jai is a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of experience across India and the UAE, specialising in sports reporting. Throughout his distinguished career, he has had the privilege of covering some of the biggest names and events in sports, including cricket, tennis, Formula 1 and golf. A former first-division cricket league captain himself, he brings not only a deep understanding of the game but also a cricketer's discipline to his work. His unique blend of athletic insight and journalistic expertise gives him a wide-ranging perspective that enriches his storytelling, making his coverage both detailed and engaging. Driven by an unrelenting passion for sports, he continues to craft compelling narratives that resonate with readers. As the day winds down for most, he begins his work, ensuring that the most captivating stories make it to the print edition in time for readers to receive them bright and early the next morning.

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