Zimbabwe Men's Cricket Team Returns Home After T20 World Cup Disruptions

Zimbabwe Cricket Team's Journey Back Home

New Delhi, March 4: The Zimbabwe senior men's cricket team, which recently competed in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, is now heading back to Zimbabwe. This follows the International Cricket Council's (ICC) intervention to arrange alternative travel due to recent transit issues.

In a statement posted on X, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announced, “We confirm that our senior men's team is on their way home from India after the ICC facilitated new travel arrangements due to recent disruptions.”

The board further explained, “Due to changes in flight availability and routing, the team will return to Harare in phases. The first group of players left India today, while the last group is expected to depart on Friday afternoon. We will provide further updates as needed.”

Zimbabwe concluded their tournament with a match against South Africa on Sunday and had planned to return to Harare on Monday via Dubai.

The team was originally booked on Emirates flights from Delhi to Dubai and then to Harare, with travel scheduled to begin early Monday morning.

However, rising tensions in West Asia led to significant airspace closures, causing airlines to suspend or reroute numerous flights, which left the team temporarily stranded in India. New routes and carriers are currently being considered.

This disruption follows missile exchanges involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which prompted several West Asian countries to temporarily close their airspace.

The situation has impacted various international airlines and transit hubs, especially Dubai, which serves as a crucial connection point for teams returning home after the tournament held in India and Sri Lanka.