By FRANCIS JOSEPH
The ICC T20 World Cup is over and India won the title.
But the war in the Middle East is hampering players and teams from leaving India. One such team is the West Indies.
The West Indies and South Africa squads finally received confirmation regarding their departure from India after their campaigns in the ICC T20 World Cup came to an end. Both teams are currently stationed in Kolkata and are scheduled to leave in the early hours of Tuesday, March 10, on a charter flight bound for Johannesburg, South Africa.
From there, the West Indies squad will continue their journey to Antigua. Then the players will disperse to their respective countries. The teams had initially expected to depart on Sunday, March 8, but the updated travel schedule was only confirmed to them later on Sunday afternoon.
The West Indies team remained in Kolkata since their elimination by India in the Super Eight stage on March 1. Meanwhile, South Africa have also been stranded in the city after their semi-final defeat to New Zealand on March 4.
West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has expressed his dissatisfaction through posts on the social media platform X saying “I just wanna go home”, while several South African players, including Quinton de Kock and David Miller, have also voiced their concerns via Instagram.
The delay has been caused by international airspace restrictions in the Gulf region due to the Israel-Iran conflict which has forced airlines to change their flight routes.
Meanwhile, the England squad departed from Mumbai on Saturday evening, flying directly to London following their exit from the tournament in the semi-finals. The team arrived on Sunday morning.
But there is more concern from players who will be flying back to India for the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on March 28. They say if the war continues, the IPL may start with a shortage of international stars.
Time will tell!
Meanwhile, the India cricket team scored an emphatic victory over New Zealand by 96 runs in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on March 8.
Playing before a massive crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India produced a dominant all-round display to secure the world title for the third time. They won the inaugural tournament in South Africa in 2007 and again in Barbados in 2024. West Indies won in 2012 and 2016.
Batting first, India posted a challenging 255 for 5 in their 20 overs, setting one of the highest totals ever recorded in a T20 World Cup final. Their powerful batting lineup delivered an aggressive performance, keeping the New Zealand bowlers under constant pressure throughout the innings.
In response, New Zealand struggled to keep pace with the required run rate and were eventually bowled out for 159 in 19 overs, handing India a convincing 96-run victory.
The result sparked celebrations among Indian supporters as the team lifted the coveted ICC trophy after a remarkable tournament campaign.
India’s emphatic win highlighted their dominance throughout the competition, losing one match to South Africa, and capped off an impressive run in the tournament, while New Zealand finished as deserving runners-up after reaching the final of another major global event.
