South Africa and West Indies Cricket Teams Finally Depart India After T20 World Cup Travel Chaos

The final contingent of players from both South Africa and the West Indies cricket teams have departed India following a week-long ordeal of being stranded after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Thursday.

The disruption to international air travel was triggered by widespread cancellations and rerouting of flights due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Travel Delays and ICC Response

In the last 24 hours, the ICC confirmed that the remaining 29 members of the South Africa team and the final 16 members of the West Indies squad have successfully boarded flights to their respective home countries. This concludes what the ICC described as a “complex operation” carried out under “exceptionally challenging global travel conditions.”

Cricket West Indies had previously expressed their concerns regarding the uncertainty surrounding their return, labeling the situation as “increasingly distressing” and highlighting “continued delays with charter flight arrangements organised by the ICC.” The West Indies were eliminated from the competition on March 1st, 2026.

South Africa’s campaign ended on March 4th, 2026, following their semi-final defeat against Modern Zealand at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. A notable moment from that match included a one-handed six hit by Dewald Brevis as seen in a YouTube short.

ICC Rejects Bias Claims

On Wednesday, the ICC refuted allegations of bias after the England team departed 36 hours after their semi-final exit, utilizing a charter flight.

The semi-final match between New Zealand and South Africa took place on March 4th, 2026, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata according to ESPNcricinfo. During that match, South Africa lost early wickets from Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton, but Aiden Markram and Dewald Brevis attempted to rebuild the innings as reported by India TV News.