The Bangladesh Cricket Board has officially informed the International Cricket Council that its national team will not travel to India for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, citing "growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent."
This decision comes just five weeks before the tournament opener on February 7. Despite the stand-off, the BCB has moved forward with its tournament preparations, naming Liton Das as captain of a 15-member squad.
The refusal follows a weekend of escalating tensions triggered by the BCCI’s directive to Kolkata Knight Riders to release pacer Mustafizur Rahman. Bangladesh’s youth and sports adviser, Asif Nazrul, stated that if India cannot provide security for a single player, they cannot guarantee the safety of the entire team.
Nazrul, who described the situation as an "insult to Bangladesh’s cricket," wrote on social media: "The board should make it clear that where a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going to the World Cup." He has also requested that IPL matches not be broadcast within Bangladesh in response.
The geopolitical fallout has already impacted bilateral ties, with the BCCI putting India’s scheduled tour of Bangladesh later this year on hold. The decision to release Mustafizur followed intense domestic pressure in India, where political and spiritual leaders criticized KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan for the signing.
Shiv Sena leader Anand Dubey stated they would not allow Rahman to play "at any cost," while spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadrachary labeled the move "anti-national." The BCB has since written to the BCCI seeking an explanation for the release, noting that the Indian board had initially requested Mustafizur’s availability for the auction.
Under the original schedule, Bangladesh is placed in Group C alongside England, Italy, Nepal, and the West Indies. The team was slated to play its first three matches in Kolkata; including the tournament opener against the West Indies at Eden Gardens, followed by a final league fixture in Mumbai.
While Sri Lanka is already hosting 20 matches, including all of Pakistan’s fixtures due to existing neutral-venue agreements, the ICC must now decide if a similar "hybrid model" is feasible for Bangladesh on such short notice.
While a BCCI insider indicated that a schedule change is unlikely so close to the event, the BCB remains firm in its stance. Board officials emphasized that they must consider the safety of not just the players, but also traveling fans and journalists.
"India said they are unable to provide security for one player, so how can they give security for the whole team?" a BCB official questioned. The matter now rests entirely with the ICC, which is expected to respond to the relocation request within the coming days.