T20 World Cup 2026: England’s Pakistani-Origin Cricketers Still Await Indian Visas

Mumbai: The upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India is turning into a major challenge for participating teams, particularly concerning visas for Pakistani-origin players.

Pakistan’s team, under a hybrid model agreement, will play all its matches in Sri Lanka instead of India. Similarly, the Bangladesh team has refused to travel to India for the tournament.

Amid these circumstances, India is reportedly delaying visa issuance for several Pakistani-origin players from other teams. Following reports that four Pakistani-origin players, including Ali Khan from the USA, were denied Indian visas, now England’s players of Pakistani descent are reportedly facing similar issues.

The delay means both players are unlikely to travel to Sri Lanka with the rest of the squad this weekend ❌ pic.twitter.com/0pIi95C7hF

— England's Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) January 15, 2026

Sources indicate that Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed have not yet received their Indian visas due to their Pakistani heritage. As a result, both players are unlikely to join the England squad for the six-match warm-up series against Sri Lanka scheduled for later this week.

This is not the first time such issues have arisen: two years ago, Shoaib Bashir could not participate in the initial Test of England’s India tour and had to return to London to complete visa formalities. Saqib Mahmood also faced similar visa-related challenges.

The delay in issuing visas has raised concerns over player participation and preparations ahead of the T20 World Cup.