Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) confirmed on Wednesday that the senior men’s side, captained by Sikandar Raza, has started its return trip from India following participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The International Cricket Council (ICC) arranged alternative travel plans after transit disruptions delayed the team’s original departure schedule.
Zimbabwe’s campaign concluded on Sunday with a five-wicket loss to South Africa in their Super Eights fixture at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The squad had initially been scheduled to travel back to Harare in three groups beginning at 4:30am on Monday, with plans to fly from New Delhi to Dubai on Emirates before taking connecting flights home.
Those arrangements were disrupted after Iran launched missiles and drones across the Gulf in response to strikes by the United States of America (USA) and Israel on Saturday. This resulted in airspace closures across parts of the Middle East and the cancellation of thousands of flights in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, placing the team’s travel plans in doubt.
In an official statement, ZC said:
“Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) confirms that the Zimbabwe senior men’s team participating in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 are on their way home from India after the International Cricket Council secured alternative travel arrangements following recent transit disruptions.
“Due to flight availability and revised routing, the squad will return to Harare in batches. The first group of players departed India today, Wednesday, while the final group is scheduled to leave on Friday afternoon. Further updates will be issued if necessary,”
An ICC official told IANS that Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, has been designated as the new transit hub for Zimbabwe’s players and support staff travelling from New Delhi. “A few members of the Zimbabwe team left for home today, while another batch will leave tomorrow via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines,” the official added.
The same ICC official had earlier indicated on Sunday that match officials not required for the knockout stages were also considering Addis Ababa as an alternative transit point instead of Dubai for their onward journeys.
Zimbabwe were not the only side affected. The West Indies also had to delay their departure from India after concluding their Super Eights fixtures in Kolkata due to the Middle East airspace closure.
Cricket West Indies said on Monday it was “working closely with the International Cricket Council (ICC), relevant governmental authorities and airline partners to secure the earliest possible safe travel arrangements for the squad and support staff.”
