‘Just Wanna Go Home’: US-Israel-Iran Conflict Disrupts T20 World Cup Travel As West Indies, Zimbabwe Remain Stranded In India
The escalating conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran has thrown international travel into disarray, with its effects now rippling into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 as several participating teams find themselves stranded in India with no immediate flight options.
The West Indies squad remains stuck at a hotel in Kolkata the city where they played their final tournament match against India on Sunday, March 1 with no confirmed departure schedule as of yet. Zimbabwe faced a similar predicament, though the situation offered a glimmer of relief when the first batch of Zimbabwe players managed to fly out from Delhi on Wednesday, March 4, after the ICC stepped in to rework their travel arrangements.
West Indies head coach Darren Sammy has since taken to social media to express his frustration, posting a heartfelt plea: “I just wanna go home.”
I just wanna go home
— Daren Sammy (@darensammy88) March 5, 2026
Airspace Shutdowns Behind the Travel Chaos
The travel disruptions trace back to Sunday, February 28, when the Middle East crisis intensified and key airspace corridors were abruptly closed. With missiles being fired across Iranian airspace in multiple directions, major transit hubs including Dubai in the UAE, one of the most heavily used layover points for flights between South Asia and the Americas became effectively inaccessible.
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According to ESPNcricinfo, the ICC had communicated to the West Indies that revised flight plans could potentially see them departing sometime mid-week, but no confirmed update has been issued so far.
Zimbabwe Leaves in Batches; Hope for Others
Zimbabwe Cricket issued an official statement confirming the phased departure of their squad. “Zimbabwe Cricket confirms that the Zimbabwe senior men’s team participating in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 are on their way home from India after the International Cricket Council secured alternative travel arrangements following recent transit disruptions,” the board said. “Due to flight availability and revised routing, the squad will return to Harare in batches.”
The development has offered cautious optimism that similar arrangements may soon be extended to other stranded teams.
Which Teams Are Still in India?
Beyond West Indies and Zimbabwe, South Africa are also now awaiting departure after being eliminated by New Zealand in the first semi-final on Wednesday, March 4. England, who face India in the second semi-final on Thursday, March 5, could also join the growing list of teams scrambling for outbound flights should they exit the tournament.
With the conflict showing little sign of immediate de-escalation, the ICC faces mounting pressure to secure safe and timely travel solutions for all remaining teams before the situation worsens further.