How South African cricketers' families are using non-West Asia routes to cheer them in India

South Africa are a couple of wins away from winning their first ever ICC World Cup and the fans of Proteas do not want to miss cheering the team as they take on New Zealand in the first semifinal of the 2026 T20 World Cup on Wednesday, March 4 in Kolkata.

However, their plans to travel to India to watch their favourite cricketers play were disrupted by the chaos in West Asia. The United States and Israel have combined to launch an offensive against Iran which is retaliating with strikes throughout the Gulf region, targetting American bases. This has led to the airspace being closed in the region which is a big transit point for travelling worldwide.

T20 World Cup 2026: News | Schedule | Results |  Points Table

Family members arrive for South Africa’s semifinal

As the conflict in the region threatens to spiral out of control, it has already disrupted travel plans worldwide. However, even then, family members of some South African players have arrived in India to witness the knockouts of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Instead of travelling via the Dubai route, these families chose to transit through Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and routes in Tanzania to reach India ahead of the semifinal.

“Some of the families have reached a day after the conflicts started in the middle east. But thankfully, they travelled through a completely different route and hence didn’t face any issues. South African team travelling back as and when they do shouldn’t be a problem as they wouldn’t need to take the Dubai route,” a source in the know of things told PTI.

South Africa play New Zealand in the first semifinal of the competition on Wednesday, March 4. The Proteas are aiming to get to their second consecutive final and hoping to finally win the T20 World Cup after last edition’s heartbreak.

Meanwhile, the West Indies and Zimbabwe cricket teams are currently stranded in India following their elimination from the T20 World Cup. Their scheduled departures, largely through transit hubs in Dubai, have been delayed due to the closure of air corridors.