South Africa, West Indies and England to leave India on ICC-arranged charter flights

South Africa, England, and the West Indies are all set to depart from India on charter flights arranged by the International Cricket Council (ICC), following the end of their respective campaigns in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

The three sides are set to leave the country over the course of the weekend following disruptions in air travel across the world, following military tensions in the Middle East.

Whilst South Africa and England played very recently, having qualified for the semi-final, the Caribbeans have been stranded in Kolkata for almost a week. The Caribbean side last played at the 2026 T20 World Cup on Sunday, March 1, in their last Super Eight stage fixture against the Suryakumar Yadav-led side. Since then, the entire squad have been stuck in the country and unable to head back home.

Former West Indies skipper-turned-coach Darren Sammy and spinner Akeal Hosein have voiced their frustrations on social media due to a lack of communication regarding their travels. 

England are set to travel directly to London from Mumbai on the evening of Saturday, 7 March. The Three Lions have been in the city for a couple of days now, having recently played their semi-final against the Indian team at the Wankhede Stadium, where they fell to a seven-run defeat.

The West Indies and South Africa, on the other hand, will be flying out from Kolkata. Though the exact details are unknown, the two sides are expected to leave India on Sunday, with both teams flying to Johannesburg first with the Windies, then continuing onto Antigua afterwards. 

It is worth mentioning that the South Africa management, along with Keshav Maharaj, George Linde and Jason Smith, will travel to New Zealand instead ahead of their five-match T20I series commencing from March 15. The Proteas did suffer a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of the Kiwis on Wednesday, 4 March at the Eden Gardens.

New Zealand vs South Africa 2026 ODI schedule 

India are set to face New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.