Family or Focus? India's T20 World Cup Challenge

The defending champions India, co-hosting the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 with Sri Lanka, find themselves in a stir as the squad, led by Suryakumar Yadav, requests that their families accompany them for the tournament. However, sources indicate the BCCI has turned down this demand, though an official statement has yet to be issued.

In the aftermath of a 1-3 defeat in Australia at the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year, the BCCI rolled out a new travel policy, limiting family stays to a maximum of two weeks for tours longer than 45 days and seven days for shorter tours. Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, has publicly supported these restrictions, underscoring the need for players to focus on their national duty rather than treating tours as vacations.

Gambhir reiterated, "Families' roles are important, but you've got to understand one thing. You are here for a purpose. It's not a holiday. You're here for a huge purpose. You've got very few people in that dressing room or in this tour who get this opportunity to make the country proud." Meanwhile, Team India secured a victory against the USA in their Group A opener and are heading to Delhi to face Namibia. Significant clashes, including the high-stakes match against Pakistan in Colombo, lie on the horizon.