New Delhi, March 4 (NationPress) Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announced on Wednesday that the senior men's team, under the leadership of Sikandar Raza, is heading back to their homeland after participating in the Men's T20 World Cup in India. The International Cricket Council (ICC) facilitated alternative travel arrangements due to transit issues that disrupted their initial plans.

The Zimbabwean team's journey concluded with a five-wicket loss to South Africa during the Super Eights match held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday. They were originally scheduled to return home in three groups, starting at 4:30 AM on Monday. Reports indicate that they were set to board Emirates flights from New Delhi to Dubai, followed by another flight to Harare.

However, the situation changed dramatically when Iran launched missiles and drones across the Gulf in retaliation to strikes by the United States and Israel on Saturday. This incident resulted in the closure of airspace in the Middle East and the cancellation of thousands of flights in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, jeopardizing their travel plans.

“Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) 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 statement from ZC read.

“Due to the availability of flights and changes in routing, the squad will return to Harare in phases. The first group of players left India today, Wednesday, and the final group is scheduled to depart on Friday afternoon. We will issue further updates if needed,” ZC added.

According to an ICC official who spoke to IANS, the new transit point for the Zimbabwe players and support staff returning home from New Delhi will be Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. “A few members of the Zimbabwe team departed for home today, while another group will leave tomorrow via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines,” the official elaborated.

Previously, an ICC official informed this news agency that match officials not required for the knockout stages were considering using Addis Ababa instead of Dubai as their transit point for connecting flights to their respective hometowns.

In addition to Zimbabwe, the West Indies also had to delay their departure from India after their tournament concluded post-Super Eights in Kolkata, due to the airspace closure in the Middle East.

Cricket West Indies stated on Monday that they are “working closely with the International Cricket Council (ICC), relevant governmental authorities, and airline partners to secure the earliest possible safe travel arrangements for the squad and support staff.”