BCCI bars families from accompanying players during T20 World Cup 2026

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Monday, February 9, confirmed that the Indian players’ families shouldn’t be accompanying them during the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, in India and Sri Lanka.

For the unversed, after India’s poor series defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, the Indian cricket board issued a strict policy of no families on tours, aimed at keeping players focused amid the packed tournament schedule. 

“The Indian team management had approached the BCCI to ask whether wives and fiancées can travel with the team and whether they can also stay with them. The board has made it clear that families won’t be staying with the players. They can make separate arrangements, though, if they want to,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Moreover, the BCCI source also added that if any player seeks an exception, he has to bear the cost of sending family members independently, as the BCCI will not be covering any of those expenses.

The defending champions, India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, are currently plying their trade in the T20 World Cup 2026 campaign in Group A, alongside their arch-rivals Pakistan, Namibia, the USA, and the Netherlands. India started the showpiece event with a 29-run win over the USA.

They will next lock horns with Namibia on Thursday, February 12, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

India squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.

Namibia squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Gerhard Erasmus (c), Zane Green, Bernard Scholtz, Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Louren Steenkamp, Malan Kruger, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Jack Brassell, Ben Shikongo, JC Balt, Dylan Leicher, WP Myburgh, Max Heingo. Reserve: Alexander Volschenk.

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