BCCI bans players’ families from joining them during T20 World Cup 2026

On Monday, February 9, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) barred the Indian players’ families from joining them during the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, in India and Sri Lanka.

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

After India’s poor series defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, the BCCI came up with a strict policy of no families on tours. However, the board accepted the families to stay with the team for two weeks if the tour is over 45 days. This policy is 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.

Furthermore, the BCCI source also made it clear that any player seeking an exception would have to bear the cost of sending family members independently, as the board will not be covering any of those expenses.

After starting their campaign on a successful note, India 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.

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