Stranded West Indies and South Africa Teams Finally Head Home

The West Indies and South Africa cricket teams , stranded in India after their T20 World Cup exit , are finally on their way home. The teams had been stuck in Kolkata for several days due to international airspace restrictions in West Asia , following American and Israeli strikes on Iran , which forced airlines to avoid Gulf routes.

Both teams were scheduled to leave India on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 , on flights from Kolkata to Johannesburg. From there, the West Indies squad will continue to Antigua , while the South African players will travel to their respective destinations. The West Indies had been stranded since March 1 after losing to India in the Super Eights, and South Africa since March 4 following their semi-final loss to New Zealand.

At the time of reporting, around 12 West Indies players with 10 support staff and 12 South African players with two support staff remained in India. Initially, both teams were scheduled to depart on a shared charter flight, but it was cancelled at the last minute due to logistical issues.

West Indies coach Darren Sammy had already left India on Monday night via Singapore, while three other players chose alternate routes. Meanwhile, South Africans Keshav Maharaj, George Linde, and Jason Smith flew to New Zealand ahead of a bilateral T20I series starting March 15.

The ICC arranged individual commercial flights for the remaining players. An ICC source said that chairman Jay Shah personally assured the players of a safe journey home, although Emirates, ICC’s airline partner, was unable to operate due to Dubai airspace closure, further complicating travel.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed it was working with the ICC to ensure safe passage back to the Caribbean. Some players are likely to stay in India to join their IPL franchises , including Rovman Powell (Kolkata Knight Riders), Sherfane Rutherford (Mumbai Indians), Shimron Hetmyer (Rajasthan Royals), and Romario Shepherd (Royal Challengers Bengaluru).

Despite the challenges, authorities confirmed that all players are now en route home safely , highlighting the vulnerabilities of international sporting travel amid geopolitical tensions.