NEW DELHI: A new and unusual development has emerged ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from next month. Teams with players of Pakistani descent are reportedly facing difficulties in obtaining Indian visas for the tournament.
Teams such as the USA, Oman, UAE, Italy and Canada, which have several players holding Pakistani passports or of Pakistani origin, have reached out to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to raise their concerns, Geo News reported.
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The concerned boards have also approached the BCCI, but are still awaiting clarity. With the T20 World Cup barely a month away, uncertainty over visas has left teams increasingly anxious as the countdown to the tournament continues.
Relations between India and Pakistan are currently at their most strained in years, with tensions escalating sharply after a terror attack in Pahalgam in April 2025 that claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The incident triggered strong retaliation from India, pushing the two neighbours into a tense, near-conflict situation.
Amid the diplomatic fallout, communication links with Pakistan were curtailed and visa services were severely impacted. As a result, players of Pakistani origin are now facing significant hurdles in securing visas on time for the T20 World Cup 2026, adding to the growing uncertainty surrounding the tournament's logistics.
