T20 WC: Zimbabwe on way back home from India after delay due to transit disruptions

New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) said on Wednesday that the Sikandar Raza-led senior men’s team are on their way back home after playing the Men’s T20 World Cup in India after the International Cricket Council (ICC) arranged alternative travel for them following transit disruptions delaying their original plans.

Zimbabwe’s tournament ended after they suffered a five-wicket defeat to South Africa in the Super Eights clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday. They were due to return home in three batches, starting from 4:30am on Monday. It is understood they were to take Emirates flights from New Delhi to Dubai and then take another flight to reach Harare.

But after Iran launched missiles and drones across the Gulf in response to strikes by the United States of America (USA) and Israel on Saturday, it led to the closure of airspace in the Middle East and thousands of flights being cancelled in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, leaving their travel plans in jeopardy.

“Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) 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.

“Due to flight availability and revised routing, the squad will return to Harare in batches. The first group of players departed India today, Wednesday, while the final group is scheduled to leave on Friday afternoon. Further updates will be issued if necessary,” said ZC in its statement.

An ICC official informed IANS that the new transit point for Zimbabwe’s players and support staff to go back home from New Delhi will be Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. A few members of the Zimbabwe team left for home today, while another batch will leave tomorrow via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines, further said the official.

The ICC official previously told this news agency on Sunday that the match officials not needed for the knockout stages of the showpiece event were considering using Addis Ababa as the transit point instead of Dubai for catching connecting flights to their respective hometowns.

Apart from Zimbabwe, the West Indies were forced to postpone their departure from India after their competition ended post the conclusion of Super Eights in Kolkata because of the airspace closure in the Middle East.

Cricket West Indies had said on Monday 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.’

--IANS

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