T20 World Cup 2026: Bad news for Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah ahead of match vs Pakistan, BCCI have decided to…
India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav’s Team India are the defending champions of the T20 World Cup 2026 and have started off their campaign with a scratchy 29-run win over minnows USA in their opening game in Mumbai last week. After much back-and-forth, Pakistan on Monday confirmed that they will go ahead with their Group A fixture at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday.
Before that clash, Team India are set to face off against Namibia in their second Group A match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday. But there is some bad news for the Indian cricket team ahead of their important clashes against Namibia and Pakistan.
Some of the members of the Indian team had approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seeking permission to bring their wives and families along for the T20 World Cup 2026. However, according to a report in Indian Express newspaper, the BCCI have categorically turned down the request of the Indian team and the cricketers’ families will not be allowed to stay with them during the tournament.
“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 Indian Express newspaper.
Mumbai (for now)
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— BCCI (@BCCI) February 9, 2026
The BCCI have enforced strict rules over allowing cricketers’ families on tours and ICC tournaments since Gautam Gambhir took over as the head coach of the Indian team. Suryakumar Yadav’s side had sought ‘clarity’ with regards to allowing families to join them during the tournament. The BCCI currently allows players to have their families (partners and children) with them for a maximum of 14 days, provided an away tour lasts more than 45 days.
India are scheduled to play three matches of the league stages at home and one game in Colombo during the T20 World Cup 2026. The team played in multiple bilateral series before the World Cup including those against South Africa and New Zealand, during which families were not allowed to stay with the team.
Team India travelling on private charter
According to the report, Suryakumar Yadav’s team are travelling on a private charter throughout the course of the tournament where they travel from Mumbai to Delhi to Colombo to Ahmedabad in the group matches. The cricketers have their own personal chefs but have booked them at the nearest hotel where they can cook food for them and send it over.
Families not travelling on tour is not a new development as in 2025, the BCCI had come up with a series of guidelines post India’s tour to Australia which Indians lost 3-1. In recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, players were allowed to have their families stay with them for the entire duration of the tour.
It means Devisha Shetty, wife of Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson’s wife Charulatha and even Jasprit Bumrah’s wife Sanjana Ganesan and son Angad will not be allowed to stay in the team hotel. Sanjana is, of course, travelling around the T20 World Cup as she is one of presenters with official broadcasters Jio.