The last batch of South African and West Indian players stranded in India after the T20 World Cup have departed, the ICC announced on Thursday, ending a crisis caused by the closure of Gulf air space in the wake of the raging West Asia conflict.

The ongoing war threw travel plans into disarray, leaving the South African and West Indies teams stranded in Kolkata due to closure of air space and airports at major transit points like Dubai.

The West Indies and South Africa played their final T20 World Cup matches in Kolkata on March 1 and March 4 respectively.

While nine West Indies players had left earlier this week, the remaining 16 were booked on commercial flights. A 29-member Proteas contingent has also departed.

“Within the past 24 hours, South Africa’s remaining 29 members and the West Indies’ final 16 members have departed on flights to their respective homelands, bringing to a close a complex operation that has taken place under exceptionally challenging global travel conditions,” the ICC said.

ICC added that ensuring the “safe onward travel for all players and staff was the sole aim”, which required constant adjustments as conditions evolved.

“Throughout this period, the ICC’s operations and logistics teams have worked continuously with governments, airlines, charter providers, airport authorities and our Member boards to navigate a number of operational disruptions caused by the evolving environment.”

The ICC had earlier drawn criticism from former England captain Michael Vaughan and South African stars Quinton de Kock and David Miller, who insinuated that England players were given better travel arrangements as they were able to leave within a day of their semifinal exit.

Earlier, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy had also expressed frustration at the lack of updates from the governing body after a charter flight scheduled to depart from Kolkata was cancelled due to logistical issues.

The ICC’s airline partner Emirates has been unable to operate flights following the shutdown of airspace over Dubai.

Suryakumar Yadav, who will lead India’s T20 World Cup title defence in less than three months, made no attempt to hide the opponent he hopes to meet in the final of the 2026 edition.

“Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Australia,” he said with a smile when asked about India’s potential final opponent moments after the tournament schedule was unveiled on Tuesday (November 25, 2025).

Suryakumar was part of the Indian team that lost the 2023 ODI World Cup final to Australia at the same venue. He did not elaborate, but the packed auditorium sensed the lingering sting of that defeat.

Harmanpreet Kaur, who recently guided India to its maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title, agreed instantly.

“Australia is the only team we all want to beat. That game always stays with you. So that is the final (I want to watch),” she said.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning captain and now the Brand Ambassador of the 2026 edition, hoped the team focuses on staying composed regardless of the opposition.

“Whoever comes, the team should remain relaxed and calm. They should win without pressure. World Cups are rare — just enjoy the moment,” Rohit said, laughing that he sounded “like a mental coach”.

The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup will be held from February 7 to March 8, across eight venues — five in India (Delhi; Kolkata; Chennai; Mumbai; Ahmedabad) and three in Sri Lanka (SSC, Colombo; Premadasa, Colombo; Kandy).

Bengaluru — which missed out on the Women’s World Cup earlier due to restrictions following the stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebration — was once again excluded as the State government is yet to approve public gatherings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The Wankhede Stadium will host the second semifinal, while the Narendra Modi Stadium will stage the final unless Pakistan qualifies.

India’s full schedule

India vs USA (Mumbai) – February 7

India vs Namibia (Delhi) – February 12

India vs Pakistan (Colombo) – February 15

India vs Netherlands (Ahmedabad) – February 18

Groups

Group A : India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia

Group B : Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman

Group C : England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy

Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

Venues

India: Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai

Sri Lanka: Colombo (R. Premadasa Stadium and Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground), Kandy

* Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka.