Bangladesh's participation in T20 World Cup hangs in balance.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Bangladesh have decided not to travel to India for the ensuing ICC T20 Word Cup 2026, effectively ruling out their participation in the marquee tournament.
This follows the International Cricket Council's (ICC) decision to stick to the original schedule as they had rejected Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) request to shift the national team's matches from India to Sri Lanka due to security fears.
The tournament to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka will be held from February 7 to March 8.
"We'll go back to the ICC with our plan to play in Sri Lanka. They did give us a 24-hour ultimatum but a global body can't really do that. ICC will miss out on 200 million people watching the World Cup. It'll be their loss. ICC is calling Sri Lanka co-hosts. They are not co-hosts. It's a hybrid model. Some of the things I heard in the ICC meeting was shocking," said BCB president Amin-ul Islam after a discussion with the government's sports advisor in Dhaka.
Bangladesh are due to play four games in India (three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai).
ICC had clarified that it had "engaged with the BCB in sustained and constructive dialogue" to ensure Bangladesh could participate in the tournament, but added that those efforts had been "rebuffed."
The game's global governing body said "independent security assessments, comprehensive venue-level security plans and formal assurances from the host authorities" found there was "no credible or verifiable threat to the safety" of the Bangladesh team.
However BCB refused to budge.
"Our only demand is to play the World Cup -- but not in India," added Islam.
The diplomatic row row between Asian nations escalated when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asked the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman.
Bangladesh responded by banning IPL broadcasts in the country and demanding to play their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.
In case Bangladesh pulls out, ICC is likely to replace them with another team -- probably Scotland.
(with ICC Media inputs)