Defending champions India, co-hosting the T20 World Cup 2026, reportedly had their request for family travel denied by the BCCI. The board's decision aligns with a revised travel policy introduced last year, supported by coach Gautam Gambhir.
BCCI Denies Team's Family Travel Request
The defending champions India are co-hosting the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 with Sri Lanka and according to sources, the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian T20 side has demanded that their family should be allowed to travel along with them throughout the tournament.
According to the sources, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has declined the demand but the official confirmation is yet to come from the Indian board. Last year, the BCCI introduced a revised travel policy after the Indian team's 1-3 defeat in Australia at the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, capping family members' stay to two weeks' maximum for tours longer than 45 days. For shorter tours, the duration was restricted to seven days.
Coach Gambhir Backs 'National Duty' Focus
Head coach Gautam Gambhir had also backed the BCCI's directive to limit the presence of cricketers' families during long overseas tours, saying players must realise they are not on vacation but on national duty. "Families' roles are important, but you've got to understand one thing. You are here for a purpose. It's not a holiday. You're here for a huge purpose. You've got very few people in that dressing room or in this tour who get this opportunity to make the country proud," Gambhir had said in July, 2025.
India's T20 World Cup Campaign
In their first Group A fixture, Indian team defeated USA by 29 runs where the skipper Suryakumar Yadav played a match-winning knock of unbeaten 84 runs off just 49 balls. Now, the Men in Blue are in Delhi for their next clash against Namibia on February 12. They are then scheduled to play the much-anticipated World Cup match against Pakistan in Colombo on February 15, before travelling to Ahmedabad for their final group-stage clash against the Netherlands on February 18.
Ahead of their first match, Team India also played a warm-up fixture against South Africa at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The T20 World Cup 2026 co-hosts defeated the Proteas by 30 runs after scoring 240 in the first innings.
Team India's T20 World Cup 2026 Squad
Team India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh. (ANI)
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