ICC Turns Down Bangladesh’s Request to Shift T20 World Cup Matches From India
Jay Shah led ICC tells BCB team must play in India or risk forfeiting points; no official statement issued yet
New Delhi, Jan 7: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to relocate Bangladesh’s matches from India to Sri Lanka for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, according to media reports.
During a virtual meeting on Tuesday, the ICC, led by chairman Jay Shah, informed BCB that Bangladesh’s senior men’s team would be required to travel to India to play its scheduled matches. Failure to do so could result in the team forfeiting points, sources told news agency ANI.
“The ICC has told the BCB that their men’s national team will need to travel to India for the T20 World Cup matches or face the risk of forfeiture,” ANI quoted sources as saying.
Neither the ICC nor the BCB has issued an official statement following the meeting. The virtual discussion was held after BCB formally requested that Bangladesh’s fixtures be shifted to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns, according to an ESPNcricinfo report.
Tensions between the two boards have reportedly intensified following the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for the ongoing Indian Premier League season. The BCB has also decided to ban IPL telecasts in Bangladesh.
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will be held from February 7 to March 8. Drawn in Group C, Bangladesh are scheduled to begin their campaign with three consecutive matches in Kolkata against the West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14.
