USA fast bowler of Pakistani origin, Ali Khan, is facing uncertainty over his participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after being denied an Indian visa, casting doubt on his availability for matches scheduled to be played in India.
The Pakistan-born pacer confirmed the development via Instagram on Tuesday (January 13), posting a picture with the caption: “India visa denied but KFC for the win.”
Ali Khan, 35, was born in Pakistan’s Punjab region and has been a key member of the USA’s pace attack in recent years. Even though the USA has not yet officially announced its squad, the right-arm speedster was expected to be part of it.
Experienced campaigner for USA
The fast bowler has represented USA in 15 ODIs and 18 T20Is, taking 33 wickets in one-day internationals and 16 in the shortest format. He was also part of the USA squad during the 2024 T20 World Cup and played in the group-stage clash against Pakistan that ended in a historic Super Over win for the Americans.
Ali Khan a favourite of the Knight Riders’ franchise
Beyond international cricket, Ali Khan has built a solid resume in T20 leagues. He is a veteran of the Knight Riders family, playing for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the opening three editions of the ILT20, while also having donned Trinbago Knight Riders and Los Angeles colours.
He turned out for Gulf Giants in the 2025-26 season. Overall, he has played 99 T20 matches and claimed 93 wickets.
3 other USA players doubtful
Three other members of the USA team, who all share a Pakistani heritage, Shayan Jahangir, Ehsan Adil and Mohammad Mohsin, remain doubtful for the T20 World Cup matches in India, said journalist Peter Della Penna in a post on X.
Group-stage matches split between India and Sri Lanka
The Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be staged across India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to May 8. Matches in India will be hosted at venues in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, while Sri Lanka’s games will be played in Colombo (R Premadasa Stadium and Sinhalese Sports Club) and Pallekele.
The USA are placed in Group A alongside India, Pakistan, Namibia and the Netherlands. Three of their four group matches are scheduled to be played in India.
The Americans begin their campaign against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7, followed by a clash against Pakistan on February 10 at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club.
Their remaining fixtures against the Netherlands and Namibia will take place at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on February 13 and 15.
With the visa issue unresolved, the availability of players with Pakistani descent remains uncertain especially for the India-based fixtures.