The International Cricket Council (ICC) has turned down a request from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to shift Bangladesh’s matches out of India for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, according to media reports. The decision was taken during a virtual meeting held on Tuesday, where the Jay Shah-led ICC told BCB that the matches would stay in India despite Bangladesh raising security concerns.
According to ANI sources, the ICC gave a firm message to the Bangladesh board. “The ICC have told the BCB that their senior men’s national cricket team will need to travel to India to play their T20 World Cup matches or risk forfeiting points.”
So far, neither the ICC nor the BCB has released any official statement about the outcome of this meeting.
Why Bangladesh wanted a venue change
The virtual meeting was arranged after BCB wrote to the ICC asking for Bangladesh’s games to be shifted to Sri Lanka. The request came amid growing tension between the two boards.
One major reason behind the dispute is the issue of Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladesh’s star fast bowler. He was released from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for the IPL 2026 season. Following this, the BCB also decided to ban the broadcast of the IPL in Bangladesh.
These developments pushed the Bangladesh board to raise security and fairness concerns about playing in India.
ICC stands firm on India venues
According to ESPNcricinfo, the ICC told BCB that “Bangladesh will need to travel to India to play the T20 World Cup or risk forfeiting points.” However, the Bangladesh board has claimed that no such ultimatum has been formally communicated to them. Still, all available reports suggest that the ICC is unwilling to move Bangladesh’s fixtures out of India.
Where Bangladesh will play in T20 World Cup 2026
The T20 World Cup 2026 will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
Bangladesh are placed in Group C and are scheduled to play all their group matches in India:
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February 7 – vs West Indies (Kolkata)
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February 9 – vs Italy (Kolkata)
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February 14 – vs England (Kolkata)
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February 17 – vs Nepal (Mumbai)
The first three matches will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, while the final group match will be in Mumbai.
Mustafizur Rahman controversy behind the row
The situation escalated a day after the BCCI asked KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad.
Rahman is Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in T20 internationals and has taken more than 400 wickets in T20 cricket. KKR had bought him for Rs 9.20 crore at the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16.
However, his signing led to heavy criticism of KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan after reports of crimes against Hindus in Bangladesh sparked political and social outrage.
Notably, Mustafizur was the only Bangladeshi player picked in the IPL 2026 auction. He has previously played for several IPL teams, including Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, and Delhi Capitals.
What lies ahead for Bangladesh
With the ICC refusing to shift venues, Bangladesh now faces a difficult choice travel to India for the World Cup or risk losing valuable points. As tensions remain high, the situation could still develop further, but for now, Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 journey is set to go through Indian stadiums.
