The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka, faces a significant hurdle following a formal request from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to relocate all of Bangladesh’s matches away from Indian venues.
The controversy erupted after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from his IPL 2026 contract. KKR had acquired Rahman for Rs 9.20 crore in the recent auction.
In response, Bangladesh’s interim government adviser on sports, Asif Nazrul, urged the BCB to raise player safety concerns with the International Cricket Council (ICC). This led to an emergency BCB board meeting, after which the board announced it would not send the team to India under current circumstances and requested all fixtures be moved, preferably to Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh is placed in Group C alongside England, West Indies, Nepal and Italy. Their scheduled group-stage matches include:
– February 7: vs West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata
– February 9: vs Italy at Eden Gardens, Kolkata
– February 14: vs England at Eden Gardens, Kolkata
– February 17: vs Nepal at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
With the tournament just a month away, any schedule changes would involve complex rearrangements even though the ICC is drawing up a revised schedule in case things don’t resolve in the coming days. The event features a dense fixture list across eight venues — five in India (Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai) and three in Sri Lanka — with pre-booked travel, accommodations, broadcasting set-ups, and media arrangements already in place.
With the BCCI being the co-host of the T20 World Cup, it must counter BCB’s claim that India is not “safe” for the Bangladesh contingent. With India set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and is aggressively going for the hosting rights of the 2036 Olympics, neighbouring countries questioning security and safety of players put direct question marks on India’s stature as multi-nation hosts.
During the 2023 ODI World Cup, Pakistan had travelled to India amid sour geo-political relations between the two countries. Pakistan were provided with top-notch security and hospitality with many of their players and staff publicly praising India’s arrangements for the team. Not only their players but their journalists also had no issues in India during the tournament.
While the ICC is yet to respond publicly, could diplomatic interventions or assurances of enhanced security protocols, possibly involving joint evaluations resolve the stand-off? Shifting Bangladesh’s games would disrupt the logistical balance, requiring re-routing of teams, officials, and support staff. Broadcast crews, production teams, and media partnerships are committed to specific locations, with contracts and equipment set-ups that can’t be altered on short notice without massive costs and delays.
To directly address BCB’s “safety concerns”, the BCCI can give guarantees of enhanced security measures for the Bangladesh team, officials while highlighting India’s track record of safely hosting international events, such as the 2023 ODI World Cup where no major security incidents occurred despite global tensions. It can offer joint security assessments with the BCB and the ICC representatives to build confidence.
Can the ICC reject the BCB’s demands? In the 1996 World Cup, Australia and the West Indies forfeited matches scheduled in Sri Lanka due to security fears after a major LTTE bombing in Colombo, resulting in walkover victories for Sri Lanka, a crucial boost that helped them reach the semi-finals and ultimately win the tournament. The ICC awarded Sri Lanka full points for those matches, even pecuniary punishments for the boycotting nations, which proved vital for Sri Lanka’s progress in the tournament.
In that case, can Bangladesh refuse to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026?
During the 2003 World Cup, England’s opening match was scheduled against Zimbabwe in Harare, but the English team forfeited the fixture citing moral, political, and contractual concerns, having made clear their reluctance to tour Zimbabwe even before the tournament began. Then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair had directed the team not to play in Zimbabwe and pushed for the match to be relocated, but when organisers failed to shift the venue, England conceded a walkover and lost four crucial points. Similarly, New Zealand refused to travel to Kenya for their match against the hosts due to serious security threats from terrorism in Nairobi, where the game was set to take place; the Blackcaps stood firm on their decision not to play there and also forfeited four points as a result.
As the ICC navigates this challenge under chairman Jay Shah, the focus remains on ensuring the tournament proceeds smoothly while addressing legitimate concerns from participating nations. The coming days will be crucial in determining whether Bangladesh play in India or if unprecedented adjustments are made to the schedule.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news
