Zimbabwe face major trouble post T20 World Cup 2026 exit for US-Iran war

Zimbabwe has become the first country to be affected by the closure of the West Asia airspace for their return home after featuring in their last Super 8 clash of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 against South Africa on March 01 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The event organizers have explored various routes to transport them and the other team as they complete their respective campaigns.

Zimbabwe will return home in three batches, with some departing as early as 4:30 on Monday morning and the rest following later in the day. They have been booked on an Emirates flight, which will take them from Delhi to Dubai and then on to Harare. They are booked to stay at their Delhi hotel until March 04.

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“No, not that I've heard of. When we started the game, there wasn't anything. And now we've just been focused on the game, so I've not heard anything since.” Zimbabwe’s coach, Justin Sammons, expressed if there was any clarity on their travel plans.

Zimbabwe affected to return home after T20 World Cup 2026 exit

The ICC has revealed that it had been monitoring the evolving situation and had activated the comprehensive contingency plans to safeguard the travel, logistics, and well-being of all the stakeholders from the T20 World Cup 2026.

“While the crisis in the Middle East has no direct bearing on the conduct of the tournament, the ICC acknowledges that a significant number of personnel - including players, team management, match officials, broadcast teams, and event staff - rely on Gulf hub airports, particularly Dubai (DXB), as key transit points for onward travel to their home countries upon concluding their commitments at the event.” The ICC said in a statement.

“The ICC Travel and Logistics team is actively working with major international carriers to identify and secure alternative routing options, including connections through European, South Asian, and South-East Asian hubs. The ICC security consultants are liaising with relevant authorities and will provide real-time advisories as the situation develops. A dedicated ICC Travel Support Desk has also been activated.” The ICC added.