West Indies players and support staff have safely reached home after remaining stranded in India following their campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026 due to flight disruptions caused by the West Asia conflict, Cricket West Indies (CWI) said.
The travel plans of the teams taking part in the knockout phase of the tournament was affected due to the ongoing war between US-Israel and Iran leading top closure of air space in the Middle East region, which serves as a major transit hub for international flights. West Indies and South Africa were stuck in Kolkata following their exit from the competition.
West Indies played their last match in the T20 World Cup 2026 against India in Kolkata on March 1. The ICC on Thursday had announced that the last batch of the players departed.
In a statement on Saturday, CWI confirmed that all players and members of the Team Management Unit (TMU) who were part of the West Indies squad at the tournament have completed their journeys and reached their respective destinations.
“The final group of players and support staff completed their journeys over the past several days and have now safely arrived at their respective destinations,” CWI said.
While nine West Indies players had left earlier this week, the remaining 16 were booked on commercial flights.
CWI thanked the ICC, regional cricket boards and other stakeholders for helping coordinate the return of the players and staff.
“We also thank West Indies fans and the wider cricketing community for their concern and well-wishes,” he said.
“The well-being and safety of our players and staff remain paramount, and we are grateful that the matter has now been brought to a safe and satisfactory conclusion.”
The travel disruption drew criticism from several players, with Daren Sammy voicing his frustration over the situation. The West Indies head coach said the team received little communication from the ICC after a charter flight scheduled to leave Kolkata was cancelled because of logistical problems.
