West Indian and African T20 cricketers are stuck in India, unable to leave due to the war.

Members of the South African and West Indies cricket teams, who were delayed in India due to flight delays caused by the Middle East war situation following the 2026 International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's T20 World Cup tournament, are now ready to depart for their respective countries. Accordingly, the International Cricket Council has announced that the players of the South African team will begin their journey from Wednesday night, and all of them will depart from India within the next 36 hours.

The West Indies team, who participated in their final match on March 1st, had to remain in Kolkata for 9 days. Due to the continuous delays of the special charter flight organized by the ICC to transport both teams, the Cricket West Indies (CWI) abandoned further hopes for it and has taken steps to bring the players back via regular commercial airline services. It has been confirmed that nine members of the West Indies team have already departed, and the remaining 16 are scheduled to leave India within the next 24 hours.

The flight delays and the lack of proper communication regarding them caused severe frustration among the players. South African players Quinton de Kock and David Miller commented on social media, questioning how the England team, who exited the tournament before them, was able to depart promptly. Additionally, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy, along with players Akeal Hosein and Shimron Hetmyer, publicly expressed their displeasure regarding the uncertain situation they faced.

Responding to the players' criticisms, the ICC clarified that there was no connection between the England team's departure and the situation faced by these two teams, and that it was based entirely on different transport and logistical circumstances. They pointed out that the main reasons for these delays were the disruptions to international flights caused by the crisis in the Gulf region, airspace closures, and missile warnings.

The International Cricket Council emphasizes that even under such uncontrollable circumstances, the safety of players, support staff, and their family members remains its paramount responsibility. They further stated that they are currently working with relevant authorities, airlines, and other stakeholders to facilitate safe travel for everyone to their respective countries, even under very complex conditions.