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West Indies head coach Daren Sammy desperately wants to go home after his team ended their campaign in the Super Eights of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
The Caribbean side's departure from India has been delayed due to International airspace restrictions arising from security concerns in the Gulf Region, owing to the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict in the region. On Saturday, the former West Indies captain posted a story on Instagram saying, "Dear Lord. I put this situation in your hands and I pray that you bless everyone handling it. Give them all that is required to get us all safely to our destination sooner than later. These I ask in your precious name. Amen." Earlier, on Thursday, the two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain, in a simple four-word post on X, said, "I just wanna go home." Cricket West Indies (CWI) had confirmed on Monday that the team's departure, following their exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, from India has been postponed due to international airspace restrictions in the Gulf Region. In an official statement, CWI had said, "These restrictions are a direct result of the security threats posed by military action in the Gulf Region, which has impacted several international flight routes and required airlines to adjust scheduled services for safety reasons." The board assured that the safety and well-being of the players, coaching staff, and officials remain the highest priority. "CWI is 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," the statement added. The delay comes after the West Indies exited the ICC Men's T20 World Cup following a five-wicket loss to India in their final Super Eight match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Despite an unbeaten run in the league stage, the Caribbean side faltered in the Super Eights, failing to reach the semi-finals. In their last outing, West Indies posted 195/4, with contributions from Roston Chase (40), Shai Hope (32), Shimron Hetmyer (27), and an unbeaten 76-run partnership between Jason Holder (37*) and Rovman Powell (34*). India's bowlers were led by Jasprit Bumrah, who took 2/36. India chased down the total with key innings from Sanju Samson (97 not out off 50 balls), Suryakumar Yadav (18 off 16 balls), and Tilak Varma (27 off 15 balls) to secure a comfortable five-wicket win. The West Indies are two-time champions of the Men's T20 World Cup, having won the title in 2012 and 2016. (ANI)
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