Rehan Ahmed was stopped at Rajkot airport for 2 hours for wrong visa ahead of IND vs ENG 3rd Test

Following Shoaib Bashir’s visa complications before the India tour, England spinner Rehan Ahmed encountered a similar issue while traveling to Rajkot from their mid-series break in Abu Dhabi ahead of the 3rd Test against India. Ahmed found himself detained at Rajkot Airport for approximately two hours on Monday, February 12.

Reportedly, the young spinner possessed only a single-entry visa to India, which led to his interception by authorities while returning from the UAE for the second time within a 30-day period. Facing an ordeal, Ahmed endured delays due to the mishap with his visa processing. However, authorities provided a temporary solution by granting him a two-day emergency visa. The England Cricket Board (ECB) expressed optimism that the situation would be fully resolved within the following 24 hours.

In a separate incident, Shoaib Bashir, encountering challenges due to his Pakistani heritage, encountered delays in obtaining his Indian visa, resulting in him being stranded in Abu Dhabi. Consequently, he had to return to England to address the issue, causing him to miss the 1st Test. Subsequently, with Jack Leach sidelined due to injury, Bashir made his Test debut in Vishakhapatnam. By Monday evening, all English players had arrived at the team hotel in Rajkot.