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Bangladesh has doubled down on its refusal to play its T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage matches in India, even after receiving a formal communication from the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the venue row. The Bangladesh Cricket Board held a high-level meeting on Wednesday attended by president Aminul Islam Bulbul and government adviser Asif Nazrul, and resolved to keep pressing for a shift of its matches to Sri Lanka.
“We are adamant”: Bangladesh’s stance after ICC letter
Bangladesh are scheduled to play four group games in India, three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai, as a part of the India-Sri Lanka hybrid hosting arrangement. After the ICC’s letter on Tuesday, the BCB said the governing body had “reiterated its commitment” to Bangladesh’s “full and uninterrupted participation” and expressed willingness to work with the board, with Bangladesh’s inputs to be welcomed during “detailed security planning.”
Nazrul, however, insisted Bangladesh would not trade perceived safety for participation. “We don’t want to play the T20 World Cup…in exchange for the honour of our country,” he said as quoted by NDTV, also citing “the security of players and journalists.” He added that after reading the ICC communication, “we feel there is a major security concern in India regarding Bangladesh cricketers.”
Nazrul referenced the IPL flashpoint around Mustafizur Rahman, claiming the BCCI had told Kolkata Knight Riders that it was “unable to provide security” to the player and should “expel him from the team.” He called it “a tacit recognition” that there is a “safety issue in India.”
“We want to play the World Cup, but in Sri Lanka,” Nazrul said, before underlining: “We are adamant in this position.” Asked about the possibility of Bangladesh giving walkovers in matches scheduled in India, he did not offer a definitive answer, saying their “main stand” was to make the ICC understand that they were “not in a position to play in India” and that the board would “reply…very soon.”
Bulbul echoed the hard line signalling further communication. “We will fight for our rights,” he said. “We are talking about a valid reason. We will make the ICC understand,” adding that the World is being played in a “hybrid model due to security reasons.”
The dispute intensified after Mustafizur was released from KKR’s IPL 2026 squad following a BCCI instruction, which triggered political and board-level escalation in Bangladesh. The men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled for February 7 to March 8, with Bangladesh’s India fixtures now at the center of a standoff that the ICC must resolve without disrupting the tournament schedule.
