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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally broken its silence on Bangladesh’s recent demand not to host the T20 World Cup matches in India, and has asked the ICC to relocate its matches to Sri Lanka. The tensions between India and Bangladesh have continued to rise after the BCCI directed the three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad due to recent developments.
The recent few days have seen incidents of multiple Hindus being killed in Bangladesh, leading to the relations between India and Bangladesh getting strained. KKR were receiving a lot of flak for picking Rahman despite the current mood of the nation, and this led to the BCCI coming into the equation and asking the franchise to release the speedster, whom they picked for INR 9.20 crore in the auction in Abu Dhabi.
Since Rahman’s release, the Bangladesh government and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have stepped in, asking the ICC to shift its T20 World Cup matches out of India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. The ICC and BCB continue to exchange emails, but no concrete decisions have been made yet, and time is running out as the tournament is scheduled to begin on February 7.
Amid the ongoing impasse between the ICC and BCB, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia reacted to the situation, stating that the Indian board has nothing substantial to say, as the topic falls outside its domain and the final call lies with the ICC.
“The meeting was about CoE and other cricketing matters. It’s not our domain to talk about that (as the ICC has the final say on Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup),” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told news agency PTI.
Bangladesh’s schedule in the T20 World Cup
The T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka across eight venues from February 7 to March 8. Bangladesh are placed in Group C alongside England, the West Indies, Nepal and Italy.
Bangladesh’s first three matches against the West Indies, as well as the matches against England and Italy, are slated to be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, while the match against Nepal will take place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Earlier this week, the BCB issued a statement, stating that the Jay Shah-led ICC has assured them that the apex body will do everything possible to address their grievances and take the necessary steps.
“In its communication, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament. The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and has assured that the Board’s inputs will be welcomed and duly considered as part of the detailed security planning for the event,” the BCB said in the official release.
