A charter flight was arranged for the West Indies team to return home after the Caribbean side were trapped in the city for more than four days due to international airspace restrictions imposed by the US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
“A charter has been arranged for West Indies to fly home,” a source told PTI on Thursday.
“Got an update. That’s all WI wanted,” West Indies coach Daren Sammy tweeted.
The development came hours after Sammy expressed his frustration on social media.
West Indies who were knocked out of T20 World Cup after losing to India were unable to fly back home for Sunday’s Super Eight match in Kolkata as flight operations in parts of the Gulf region were disrupted.
Sammy had expressed his frustration earlier to X: “I want to go home.”
Four hours later, the former West Indies captain followed it up with another post seeking to clarify their travel plans.
“At least an update tell us something. Today tmw next week. It’s been 5 days,” Sammy wrote.
Due to the situation in the Gulf region, several West Indies players are expected to remain in India as their respective IPL franchises are set to begin training camps in the coming weeks.
Rovman Powell is part of the Kolkata Knight Riders, whose camp begins on March 18, while Sherfane Rutherford represents the Mumbai Indians. Shimron Hetmyer plays for Rajasthan Royals and Romario Shepherd is with Royal Challengers Bengaluru who is expected to start training from March 15.
A representative of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) said the International Cricket Council was handling the matter.
“It is completely being handled by the ICC. We have no update on the movement of the West Indies team, but as per the latest update, they are still here and looking for a charter flight,” an official told PTI earlier in the day.
Cricket West Indies said it was working with the ICC and relevant authorities to ensure the safe return of the players.
“Cricket West Indies (CWI) wishes to advise that the departure of the West Indies senior men’s team from India following their withdrawal from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has been delayed due to international airspace restrictions,” the management said in a statement.
“These restrictions are a direct result of security threats posed by military action in the Persian Gulf region, which has affected several international flight routes and required airlines to adjust scheduled flights for security reasons.”
“CWI appreciates the understanding and concern of our fans, families and stakeholders during this time.”
The Zimbabwean players, who were also stranded in India for the same reason, have started returning home in batches after the ICC arranged for alternative travel routes via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup Schedule | T20 World Cup Points Table | T20 World Cup Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
05 March 2026 18:11 IST
