West Indies head coach Darren Sammy takes a swipe at Jay Shah after being stranded in Kolkata
Published - 05 Mar 2026, 04:03 PM | Updated - 05 Mar 2026, 11:35 PM
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The West Indies National Cricket Team is facing an unexpected situation in Kolkata even after their exit from the T20 World Cup 2026. The Caribbean side has been stuck in the city for several days due to the war in the Middle East, which left the entire camp frustrated.
West Indies players and support staff were expecting to leave India soon after their elimination on March 1, but travel problems caused by the war between Iran and the USA-Israel have delayed their return, with several flights cancelled for most of West Asia.
Daren Sammy’s emotional message goes viral
With the frustration growing and emotions running high, the West Indies head coach, Daren Sammy, shared a short yet heart-touching message on social media saying he simply wants to go back home. Sammy wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “I just want to go home.”
Read Also: Jay Shah’s intervention demanded as Sri Lanka Cricket falls into chaos after T20 World Cup disaster
This simple post caught attention instantly, showing how difficult the situation has become for the West Indies national cricket team. Many airspace corridors are currently closed, making it very difficult for airlines to operate regular flights.
I just wanna go home
— Daren Sammy (@darensammy88) March 5, 2026
ICC struggles to send West Indies home
Even the International Cricket Council (ICC) has been struggling to arrange safe travel plans for teams leaving India after the ongoing intense Iran-Israel war, which is currently in its second year.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the ICC officials were initially trying to organize a special charter flight for the West Indies squad that would take them to London before they could continue their journey to the Caribbean island. The team was expected to leave India around the middle of the week, but no confirmed date was given, and the plan has not materialized yet.
The West Indies players have been staying in Kolkata since March 1 after their crushing loss to India in the last Super 8 match. That defeat ended their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, but their wait to go home has continued much longer than expected.
Some relief for Zimbabwe players
Well, there was at least some positive news for Zimbabwe. A group of their players finally left India from Delhi after new travel arrangements were made by the ICC. Zimbabwe’s original plan was to travel through Dubai, but that route had to be cancelled due to the ongoing war.
Instead, the Zimbabwe players were sent through Addis Ababa before they finally reached Harare. Even then, the squad will return home in small groups because of limited flight availability.
South Africa is stuck after the semi-final exit
Meanwhile, other teams are also waiting for travel updates. The South Africa National Cricket Team, which was knocked out by the New Zealand National Cricket Team in the semifinal on March 4, is still waiting to learn how and when they will return home.
The travel plans for the England national cricket team will also depend on the result of their semifinal clash with the Men in Blue. The Indian cricket team will face England in the second semifinal on March 5 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, with the winner facing New Zealand in the title clash.
Read Also: Abhishek Sharma dropped? India Playing XI for England clash officially revealed hours before match
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Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ...
