- By Vishal Pushkar
- Thu, 15 Jan 2026 02:17 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
T20 World Cup 2026: England players of Pakistani-origin, Rehan Ahmed and Adil Rashid, are yet to receive their Indian visas, as per a report by the Guardian. The report also claimed that the delay in issuing visas has disrupted England's T20 World Cup preparations, as both players are a part of the squad for the tournament co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
England are set to play three ODIs and as many T20I matches against Sri Lanka; however, it remains unclear if both these players will feature in the series as part of their preparations, the report further stated.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are hoping both Rashid and Rehan will be able to join their team once the issue is resolved completely. It is worth noting that young all-rounder Rehan is in Australia for the BBL (Big Bash League) while Rashid is in South Africa for the ongoing SA20 league.
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Also, the ECB has sought assistance from the UK government to expedite the process as there has been no objection raised from India's MEA (Ministry of External Affairs). However, there is no fixed timeline defined yet.
If England do miss out on the services of Rashid and Ahmed, Liam Dawson is the squad's only specialist spinner. Batting all-rounders Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell may be asked to contribute more with the bat.
England's Schedule In T20 World Cup
England begin their Sri Lanka tour on January 22 with the first ODI in Colombo.
Their T20 World Cup campaign starts against Nepal in Mumbai on February 8, and it remains to be seen whether both players are cleared in time for the tournament.
It also remains to be seen if England's group game against Bangladesh will take place in Kolkata, as their opponents have insisted they will not travel to India following the fallout involving Mustafizur Rahman.
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Bangladesh have threatened to pull out unless their matches are moved to a neutral venue, even as the BCCI hopes the original schedule will remain.
The controversy with Bangladesh began after the BCCI instructed the Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to remove fast bowler Mustafizur from their squad, following political tensions between the two countries.
Inputs from Agency