United States (US) based fast bowler Ali Khan of Pakistani origin on Tuesday revealed that he has been denied an Indian visa ahead of the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, where he is set to represent the US.

 

Khan shared the update in an Instagram story that showed him having KFC alongside teammate Shayan Jahangir, who was also denied a visa.

 

“India visa denied but KFC for the win,” Khan wrote.

 

 

Meanwhile, reports said that Ehsan Adil and Mohammad Mohsin of the US cricket team were also denied visas by Indian authorities, allegedly due to their Pakistani roots.

 

It merits a mention that this is not the first time when players of Pakistani origin have faced visa-related issues while travelling to India.

 

In 2024, England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir encountered delays in obtaining a visa for England’s Test tour of India due to his Pakistani origin. England pacer Saqib Mahmood has also faced similar entry delays in the past.

 

According to media reports, several T20 World Cup teams, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Canada, Italy, the US and the Netherlands, have approached the ICC regarding visa issues for players born in Pakistan or of Pakistani descent.

 

Pakistan’s own squad, however, won’t face any visa concerns as Pakistan and India have already agreed upon a hybrid model for ICC events, under which both teams continue to play their matches at neutral venues when one of them is the host.

 

While Sri Lanka will host all group-stage games and any knockout matches played by Greenshirts, a decision on venues for Bangladesh matches, amid souring Dhaka-New Delhi ties, is still awaited.