The claim that gained immense popularity on social media was made by Ali Khan, a fast bowler from the USA, who originally hails from Pakistan but currently plays for the United States team. He mentioned that he and some other players of the Pakistani origin were not allowed to get Indian visas before the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which is going to be held primarily in India and Sri Lanka from February 7. Through an Instagram post, Khan seemed to express his disappointment at the rejection of his visa, which then went viral and caused anxiety regarding the presence of these players at the matches in India.
What Did USA Cricket Officials Say About The Viral Claims?
Nonetheless, the USA Cricket authorities have stated that the visa denial story is not true. An official from USA cricket mentioned that the visas are not turned down, rather, the applications are in the process of administrative review and have been delayed, which is a normal practice in the visa processing, particularly for those of Pakistani descent because of the extra procedural requirements imposed by India’s visa rules. The four players mentioned Ali Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Mohammad Mohsin, and Ehsan Adil have been going through the visa process by making appointments at the Indian High Commission in Colombo, and the US side claims that their cases are still active and waiting for further documentation or the green light from the pertinent authorities.
Viral Claims By Pakistan-Origin USA Cricketer Ahead Of T20 World Cup 2026
The circumstance brings out the difficulties of visa processing for international sports events, mainly when the native countries of players are like Pakistan and they have now different citizenships. The narrative of a denial was further raised by social media reactions while reliable sources pointed out that nothing has been rejected officially and this type of assessment can take a while. The issue is still developing with the T20 World Cup coming closer and everyone is looking at the speed to which these clearance processes will be done so that the players involved can join their team if they get the last approval.
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