Harbhajan Singh said Bangladesh’s decision on travelling to India for the T20 World Cup 2026 should be respected, with the ICC set to take a final call on the issue.
With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 just a month away, a growing controversy involving India and Bangladesh has cast a shadow over the tournament. The situation escalated after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was excluded from Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad, following which the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) formally requested the ICC to shift their World Cup matches out of India, citing security concerns.
The development triggered widespread debate across the cricketing world. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has now shared his views, stating that while India is ready to host all teams, the final decision lies with Bangladesh and the ICC.
Speaking to ANI, Harbhajan said that recent events have influenced Bangladesh’s stance, but stressed that India remains open to welcoming the team.
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“Due to the various events that have taken place in the past few days, Bangladesh does not want to come to India. Whatever happened in Bangladesh is wrong. ICC needs to make a decision on their request. We welcome everyone to India, but whether they (Bangladesh) want to come here or not is their choice,” Harbhajan said.
The controversy comes at a time when excitement around the T20 World Cup is building, with the tournament returning to Indian soil after two years. However, the ongoing diplomatic and security concerns between the two neighbouring countries have spilled into cricket, adding uncertainty to the schedule.
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Bangladesh’s request to move their matches has added a new layer of complexity to the tournament planning. India and Sri Lanka are co-hosting the event, while Pakistan are already set to play their matches in Colombo under a pre-arranged hybrid model.
If the ICC agrees to Bangladesh’s request, it could force changes to the existing schedule. With no final decision announced yet, fans and stakeholders are closely watching how the situation unfolds ahead of the marquee event.
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