FOUR US CRICKETERS of Pakistani origin, Ali Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Mohammad Mohsin and Ehsan Adil are awaiting visa clearance to travel to India for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The players attended their scheduled visa appointments on Tuesday and submitted the required documents at the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
The 18-member US squad is currently in Sri Lanka, where it is holding a preparatory camp for the tournament. The United States is set to open its World Cup campaign against defending champions India on 7 February at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The final US squad for the tournament is expected to be announced later this month.
Speculation was sparked after US fast bowler Ali Khan wrote on his Instagram story, “India visa denied but KFC for the win”, prompting questions about the team’s travel status.
Clarifying the situation, a source told Times of India, “They had the appointment this morning at the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka. They completed the paperwork as per what ICC had asked them to prior to the appointments. At the appointment, the players were informed that the visas could not be processed at this stage. Later in the evening, US management received a call from the Indian Embassy indicating that some of the required information had been received, while additional inputs were still awaited from the Foreign Ministry. Once that process is complete, they will be contacted to proceed further. That is the current status.”
Under Indian government protocol, visa applications from players of Pakistani origin require an additional layer of scrutiny, with the Ministry of External Affairs making the final decision. In the past, international cricketers such as Moeen Ali, Shoaib Bashir and Usman Khawaja have undergone similar procedures before touring India.
Several other associate teams in the tournament including UAE, Canada, Oman and Italy also have players of Pakistani origin and are expected to follow the same process.
The visa situation adds to the growing uncertainty around the World Cup, coming amid an unresolved standoff between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the ICC over Bangladesh’s reluctance to tour India for its scheduled fixtures.
