Bangladesh Rejects Pressure Over T20 World Cup 2026 Venues, Warns ICC

Bangladesh reiterated its refusal to play T20 World Cup 2026 matches in India, warning the ICC against accepting external pressure and insisting on a venue change due to security concerns.

Bangladesh on Tuesday stood firm on its position regarding participation in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, making it clear that it will not accept any “unreasonable conditions” if the International Cricket Council (ICC) gives in to pressure from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Bangladesh’s sports advisor Asif Nazrul said the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has clearly communicated its concerns to the ICC and will not be forced into playing matches in India against its will.

“I am not aware that Scotland will be included in our place (in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup). If the ICC bows to pressure from the Indian Cricket Board and tries to impose pressure on us by setting unreasonable conditions, we will not accept those conditions,” Nazrul said while addressing the media.

He also dismissed speculation that Scotland could replace Bangladesh in the tournament if they choose to withdraw, reiterating that Bangladesh has asked for a venue change purely on security grounds. The team has requested that its matches be moved to co-host Sri Lanka instead of India.

“In the past, there were examples where Pakistan said that they would not travel to India and ICC changed the venue. We have asked to change the venue on logical ground and we can’t be pressurised to play in India by putting illogical pressure,” Nazrul added.

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Over the weekend, BCB officials held discussions with ICC representatives in Dhaka in an attempt to resolve the issue. However, no agreement was reached after Bangladesh raised concerns over recent developments, including the BCCI’s directive to IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman amid ongoing political tensions between the two countries.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, the ICC has set January 21 as the deadline to find a resolution, with time running out for finalising the tournament schedule. The ICC is currently working on a revised plan following Bangladesh’s request to move their matches out of India.

If Bangladesh were to be replaced, Scotland, the highest-ranked team that failed to qualify, would be the likely option. However, such a change would require at least 15 days of preparation time for the replacement side.

Bangladesh have been placed in Group C of the T20 World Cup 2026 alongside West Indies, Italy, England, and Nepal. As per the original schedule, Bangladesh were set to play their matches in Kolkata and Mumbai.

The final decision on Bangladesh’s participation and venue allocation is expected to be taken soon as the ICC continues discussions with all stakeholders.