T20 World Cup 2026: “Wanna Go Home…” — West Indies Coach Daren Sammy Appeals to Return Home Amid Travel Chaos

Daren Sammy, along with the West Indies cricket team have been stuck in India following their exit from the T20 World Cup 2026. The airspace closures in Middle Eastern countries have meant that the two-time champions have not been able to go back to their respective countries.

The West Indies head coach, along with his team, was supposed to fly out of India on Monday, 2nd March. However, due to the ongoing war conflict between Israel and Iran, the airspace has been affected in the Gulf region. Notably, the Dubai International Airport has stopped its functions. The West Indies team was supposed to leave India and take a layover in Dubai before making it to their country. 

Daren Sammy’s plea goes viral

Daren Sammy took to Twitter to plead his request of going home. Following their exit from the tournament on Sunday, the West Indies team has been stuck in Kolkata. The St. Lucia-born all-rounder took all-format coaching responsibilities for the West Indies in April 2025. He had been coaching the white-ball sides for a year prior to taking charge as the all-format coach.

His leadership has been credited as one of the biggest reasons behind the West Indies’ success at the T20 World Cup 2026. The two-time champions reached the Super 8 stage and were one win away from making it to the semi-final, in spite of missing arguably their greatest batter in the format, Nicholas Pooran. 

Zimbabwe flies out

The Zimbabwe Cricket Association had also reported that their team was stranded in India following their loss against South Africa on Sunday. However, in the latest media release, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has announced that the first batch of their players has left India. In their statement, ZC said, “Zimbabwe Cricket 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.”

The decision to travel in batches came following the travel restrictions amid international airspace closure in Gulf countries. “Due to flight availability and revised routing, the squad will return to Harare in batches,” ZC added.

Also Read: IND vs ENG: India’s T20 World Cup Semi-Final Records Ahead of Clash Against England