4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Mar 1, 2026 10:32 AM IST
On her way to Birmingham for the prestigious All England Open starting on Tuesday, star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu is stuck at Dubai airport, while the Indian basketball team that is in Doha, Qatar unable to proceed with their onward travel after operations were suspended in multiple cities following missile strikes by Israel and the US on Iran.
Elsewhere, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is also working on alternate flight plans for players and officials returning from the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka amid the disruption.
According to Reuters, airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel and Bahrain is virtually empty after Israel confirmed it had struck Iran and the US military launched a series of strikes on targets in the country. Iran has retaliated with a salvo of missiles. Witnesses reported explosions across the Gulf, including in Qatar’s Doha — which hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East — as well as in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Cagers stuck in Doha
The Indian basketball team was checking out of the hotel on their way to Doha Airport after playing the World Cup Asian Qualifiers against Qatar. “We got to know about the situation when we were in the lobby checking out from our hotels because we’re leaving for the airport. That’s when we found out that there was an issue, but nobody was telling us clearly,” Pratyanshu Tomar, forward of the team, told The Indian Express from Doha.
ALSO READ | US-Israel strike Iran: PV Sindhu stuck in Dubai airport on her way to All England Open in Birmingham
India was slotted to play Lebanon in their next fixture on March 3 in Beirut but it looks highly unlikely in this situation.
“Indian Senior Men’s National Basketball Team, presently in Doha, Qatar for participation in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, is currently unable to proceed with its scheduled onward travel due to the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region, which have disrupted international airspace and flight operations. The Indian team successfully completed its scheduled match against Qatar. However, due to the prevailing situation and resulting travel uncertainties, the team and accompanying officials are presently stationed in Doha under safe and secure accommodation,” Basketball Federation of India said in a press release.
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Zero air traffic in UAE, Qatar and Iran Zone. (PHOTO: Flightradar24)
The Indian players said they also heard explosion noises and witnessed it. “During the afternoon, just above our hotel, I think we saw two missiles getting intercepted, which was something scary,” said Pratyanshu.
Sindhu in Dubai
Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu is stuck at Dubai airport, the world’s busiest travel hub, which was her connecting point to Birmingham. She posted a video of the scenes on her Instagram account, captioning it: “All flights suspended until further notice.”
Meanwhile, star doubles duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have reached Birmingham, with Chirag posting on Instagram: “Safely landed in Birmingham before the USA struck Iran.” Doubles coach Tan Kim Her and shuttler Dhruv Kapila were also pictured in the post
ICC planning alternate routes
The T20 showpiece that began on February 7 will wind up on March 8 will also be affected due to the tensions as the routes for travel go through the Middle East.
KIND ATTENTION: Indian Passengers stranded at the airports in UAE. pic.twitter.com/RpC6L2QzYw
— India in UAE (@IndembAbuDhabi) February 28, 2026
“We have already mobilised our travel, logistics and security teams, and are working around the clock to ensure that all stakeholders can return home safely, with minimal disruption,” an ICC spokesperson said in a statement. “We would also urge fans who have travelled or were planning to travel for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 to monitor closely and adhere to advisories being issued and consider all factors before undertaking any further international travel.”
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The ICC acknowledged that a significant number of personnel – including players, team management, match officials, broadcast teams, and event staff – rely on Gulf hub airports, particularly Dubai, as key transit points.
The Indian Embassy in UAE said that they and the Consulate “are in touch with the UAE authorities and airlines for taking care of the Indian passengers stranded at the airports in UAE due to temporary and precautionary airspace closure.”
