India team (Source:X)The BCCI has once again enforced its strict policy regarding players' families, deciding not to allow them to stay with the Indian team during the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The decision is a setback for the current team management under head coach Gautam Gambhir, who reportedly reached out to the board seeking clarity on the matter.According to a report in The Indian Express, the BCCI made it clear that families would not be allowed to stay with players for during the tournament. While players are free to make their own arrangements, families will not be part of the official team setup.BCCI rejects team management’s request for clarityThe Indian team management had approached the BCCI to understand whether players' wives, fiancées, and children could travel with the squad and stay with them during the World Cup. However, the board turned down the request and chose to stick with its existing policy.“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 confirmed, according to the Indian Express.As per BCCI rules, players are allowed to have their families with them for a maximum of 14 days only if an away tour lasts more than 45 days. Since the T20 World Cup does not meet that criterion, the board decided that no exception would be made.It is important to mention that the report also stated that while families can travel independently, they cannot stay with the team.Why did BCCI restrict players?The family-stay restriction is not new in the Indian-team setup. Following the India's 1–3 loss to Australia in the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the BCCI reviewed its policies. Support staff had reportedly raised concerns that some players were unavailable for internal meetings and informal planning sessions because they were spending time with their families.This prompted the BCCI to reintroduce older guidelines in January 2025, limiting family presence during tours. Since the onset of COVID-19, players had been allowed to stay with their families for entire tours, but the Australia series proved to be a turning point.The board felt the need to restore focus, discipline, and team bonding, especially during high-pressure tournaments like the World Cup.India begins T20 World Cup on positive noteThe T20 World Cup began on February 7, and India kicked off their campaign with a 29-run win against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The hosts struggled early after opting to bat first, but captain Suryakumar Yadav played a crucial role, scoring an unbeaten 84 off 49 balls Shadley van Schalkwyk impressed for the USA with figures of 4 for 25. In reply, India's bowlers held firm, restricting the USA to 132 for 8, with Mohammed Siraj picking up three wickets.India will next face Namibia on February 12 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi before travelling to Colombo for the highly anticipated clash against Pakistan on February 15.
