As a result of the delay, the two England players will not travel with the rest of the squad to Sri Lanka this weekend for the warm-up series, which includes three ODIs and three T20Is.
Both players, who are of Pakistani heritage, are now expected to travel directly to India ahead of England’s opening match of the tournament against Nepal in Mumbai on February 8.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is working closely with the Indian government, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) to resolve the issue and speed up the visa process.
Visa delays for players of Pakistani heritage travelling to India are not unusual. England spinner Shoaib Bashir missed the opening Test against India two years ago due to similar issues, while Saqib Mahmood has also faced visa-related delays in the past.
There is understood to be no objection from the Indian authorities in issuing the visas, and the ECB remains confident that both players will be able to travel in time for the start of the tournament.
