With less than five weeks remaining for the tournament opener, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced that it will “not travel to India” for next month’s Men’s T20 World Cup and has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to “consider relocating Bangladesh’s matches outside India”.
The announcement came a day after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed Kolkata Knight Riders to part ways with Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season.
The BCB issued a media statement on Sunday (January 4, 2026) evening following an emergency meeting of its Board of Directors, convened to discuss Bangladesh’s participation in the World Cup in light of the recent escalation in political tensions between India and Bangladesh.
“Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India, and considering the advice from the Bangladesh Government, the Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh national team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions,” the statement said.
“In light of this decision, the BCB has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC), as the event authority, to consider relocating all of Bangladesh’s matches to a venue outside India. The Board believes that such a step is necessary to safeguard the safety and well-being of Bangladeshi players, team officials, Board members and other stakeholders, and to ensure that the team can participate in the tournament in a secure and appropriate environment,” the statement said.
The Hindu understands that the decision was taken following an advice from the Bangladesh Sports Ministry. The matter now rests with the ICC, which is expected to respond to the BCB’s request within the next few days.
The Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. Of the 55 matches in the tournament, Sri Lanka is slated to host 20, including all of Pakistan’s fixtures, with the ICC having already agreed to neutral venues for India–Pakistan matches in ICC events until 2028.
Bangladesh is currently scheduled to play three league-stage matches in Kolkata, followed by its final league fixture in Mumbai.
While the BCCI, as the principal host, has a limited role in such decisions, a BCCI insider indicated that a change in fixtures was unlikely given that the tournament is “barely a month away”. However, should the ICC intervene, the BCCI would be obliged to comply.
On Saturday (January 3), without citing a specific reason, the BCCI asked Kolkata Knight Riders to withdraw Mustafizur Rahman — who was bought for ₹9.20 crore at last month’s auction — from IPL 2026.
