The West Indies cricket team’s long wait to leave India after their exit from the T20 World Cup 2026 is finally coming to an end. The Caribbean side is expected to fly out this weekend on a special charter flight arranged by the International Cricket Council (ICC), as travel in the Middle East has been disrupted due to airspace restrictions.
When will England, West Indies travel back?
According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, England will leave from Mumbai on Saturday evening. Meanwhile, West Indies and South Africa are set to take another charter flight from Kolkata.
West Indies in Kolkata since March 1
West Indies have been stuck in Kolkata since March 1, when they lost to India by five wickets in their final Super Eights match. Their departure was delayed for nearly a week because several Middle Eastern airspaces were restricted following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which disrupted international flight routes.
South Africa are also currently in Kolkata after their semi-final loss to New Zealand on Wednesday, while England stayed back in Mumbai after losing to India in the second semi-final on Thursday.
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How will England travel back?
The report added that England will fly directly to London. West Indies and South Africa are expected to travel first to Johannesburg, before the Caribbean side continues its journey to Antigua. However, the exact timing of their departure is still being finalised, though it is likely to happen on Sunday.
Daren Sammy was frustrated after the delay
The delay has been frustrating for the West Indies players and staff. On Saturday, head coach Daren Sammy posted “Day 6” on his X account, hinting at how long the team had been stranded in Kolkata after their last match.
Spinner Akeal Hosein also shared a light-hearted post on social media, jokingly asking football star Cristiano Ronaldo for help.
“At this point, I’m better off asking Cristiano to send the jet and come rescue me yes,” he wrote on X on Friday.
Earlier, the Zimbabwe cricket team had also been stranded in New Delhi because of the same travel issues. They eventually managed to leave on Thursday after the ICC arranged an alternative route for them to fly back to Harare via Addis Ababa.