ICC Confirms Bangladesh T20 World Cup 2026 Matches To Be Played In India

The ICC decided that Bangladesh will have to travel to India for the T20 World Cup 2026, warning of replacement by Scotland if they refused.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has given the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) one additional day to consult with the Bangladesh government and confirm whether the national team will travel to India for the T20 World Cup 2026. If Bangladesh continue to refuse participation in India citing security concerns, the ICC Board has decided that Scotland will replace them in the tournament based on team rankings.

The decision was taken during an ICC Board meeting held on Wednesday, where a majority of directors voted in favour of appointing a replacement team should Bangladesh persist with their demand to play their matches in Sri Lanka instead of India.

Of the 15 directors present, only Pakistan supported the BCB’s stance. The meeting was convened after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wrote to the ICC and other member boards on Tuesday, formally backing Bangladesh’s position. The meeting was attended by directors from all Full Member nations.

Following the meeting, the ICC issued an official statement explaining the rationale behind its decision. “The decision was taken after considering all security assessments conducted, including independent reviews, all of which indicated there was no threat to Bangladesh players, media persons, officials and fans at any of the tournament venues in India,” the ICC said.

Relocating For Bangladesh Is Not A Viable Option

The governing body further clarified that altering the tournament plans at this stage was not viable.
“The ICC Board noted that it was not feasible to make changes so close to the tournament and that altering the schedule under the circumstances, in the absence of any credible security threat, could set a precedent that would jeopardise the sanctity of future ICC events and undermine its neutrality as a global governing body.

“The ICC management also engaged in a series of correspondences and meetings with the BCB in a bid to resolve the impasse, sharing detailed information on the event security plan, including layered federal and state law-enforcement support.”

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The ICC reiterated that its decisions on venues and scheduling are based on objective threat assessments, host government guarantees, and the tournament’s agreed participation terms, which apply equally to all 20 teams.

In the absence of any independent security findings that materially compromise the safety of the Bangladesh team, the ICC stated that it could not relocate fixtures. Doing so would create major logistical challenges for teams and fans worldwide and set a precedent that could undermine the neutrality, fairness, and integrity of ICC governance.

Bangladesh have been placed in Group C of the T20 World Cup 2026 and are scheduled to play their first three matches in Kolkata on February 7, 9, and 14, followed by their final group match in Mumbai on February 17.