USA fast bowler Ali Khan has claimed his Indian visa application has been denied less than a month before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins, throwing a fresh layer of uncertainty over the Americans’ tournament build-up.
Ali Khan posted an Instagram story on Monday that read, ‘India visa denied but KFC for the win,” effectively confirming he does not currently have clearance to enter the country for the India leg of the competition.
The timing is awkward for the USA because their Group A itinerary is heavily India-based. USA are scheduled to face hosts India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7, followed by fixtures in Chennai against the Netherlands, Namibia. If the visa issue is not resolved quickly, USA could be forced into last-minute squad reshuffles at the point teams typically settle on combinations, workloads and roles.
While Khan’s story is the only direct, first-hand confirmation at this stage, multiple reports and social media chatter have suggested other USA cricketers – including wicketkeeper-batter Shayan Jahangir and bowlers Ehsan Adil and Mohammad Mohsin – may be facing similar hurdles. USA Cricket and the ICC have not issued a public statement yet, and the exact nature of the cases remains unclear.
Visa complications have been a background concern for several associate teams in the build-up to the India-hosted matches, particularly involving players of Pakistani origin or with Pakistani documentation links, given the additional checks and processes each application can attract. In recent days, there has also been broader noise around travel and participation-related logistics for visiting teams, adding to the sense that off-field paperwork could become an unwanted subplot of the tournament.
From a cricketing perspective, losing a frontline seamer this close to the event would be a significant blow for USA’s hopes of pushing beyond the group stage. The Americans have built their recent rise around discipline with the ball, clar match-ups, and a settled core that knows its roles. A late disruption, especially in the pace group, can ripple into everything from powerplay plans to death-over combinations, and force the captain into conservative, safety-first choices.
For now, the story remains fluid: Khan has made the denial public, but the next steps – appeals, fresh applications, or intervention from tournament stakeholders – will determine whether this becomes a short-term scare or a genuine competitive setback for the USA on the eve of the World Cup.