Before the big final to be held between India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, a big update has come out on the departure of the teams left out of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
Many teams are facing unexpected challenges after the campaign ends in the T20 World Cup 2026. She has been stuck in India for several days after being eliminated from the tournament as global air travel has been disrupted due to the ongoing war between Iran and the United States.
ICC arranges special charter flights to England, South Africa and West Indies
To solve this problem, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken a big decision. The ICC has arranged for special charter flights so that the affected teams, including South Africa, West Indies and England, can finally return home amid tensions in West Asia, reports ESPNcricinfo.
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The move has come as a relief to players and support staff who were waiting for travel clearance after completing their campaign. It is being said that England, who were eliminated from the showpiece event after their semi-final defeat against India, are expected to leave Mumbai on the evening of Saturday, March 7.
Their charter flight will take them straight to London, UK. Meanwhile, the South Africa national cricket team and the West Indies national cricket team are set to travel together on another special flight from Kolkata. After being out of the tournament, both the teams are staying in Kolkata.
Some South African players are going to New Zealand
The plan is for them to first fly to Johannesburg before continuing on to their final destinations. However, some members of the South African team like Keshav Maharaj, Jason Smith and George Linde are set to fly straight to New Zealand for the upcoming white-ball series.
South Africa reached the semi-final stage of the tournament, but were eliminated after losing to New Zealand in Kolkata earlier in the week. The West Indies team had already arrived in the city after their last Super Eight match against India.
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Another team, the Zimbabwe national cricket team, also faced travel delays after finishing their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign in early March, although some of their members managed to leave a few days later, and some will leave India as soon as tickets become available.
Ricky Martin, Sukhbir and Falguni Pathak to perform at T20 World Cup 2026 final ceremony
Meanwhile, the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 will begin with a grand closing ceremony at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. The event is scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm IST, just before the India vs New Zealand final in Ahmedabad. Around one lakh fans are expected to witness a colorful mix of music, dance and cricket excitement inside the stadium.
Global pop star Ricky Martin will entertain the huge crowd. The festival will also feature popular Indian singers, including Punjabi music star Sukhbir and renowned Gujarati folk artist Falguni Pathak. Pathak, widely known as the “Dandiya Queen”, is expected to bring festive energy with her traditional dance hits to Ahmedabad ahead of the summit.