Bangladesh have announced that its national cricket team will not travel to India for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, citing concerns over the safety and well-being of players amid tense political relations between the two countries.
The decision comes after the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL squad.
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Bangladesh’s matches were scheduled to be held in Kolkata and Mumbai, with their first game against the West Indies at Eden Gardens on February 7.
With the tournament less than a month away, this move has thrown the schedule into uncertainty.
“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 BCB said in a statement.
The board has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to consider moving all of Bangladesh’s matches to a venue outside India.
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Bangladesh’s sports adviser, Asif Nazrul, supported the decision, posting on Facebook: “The BCB has decided not to send the Bangladesh team to India for the World Cup. We welcome this decision taken in the context of the radical communal policies of the Indian cricket board.”
According to ESPNcricinfo, the BCB reached its decision after two video-conference meetings involving the board’s directors over the past 24 hours.
In the first meeting, no concrete decision was made, but a second meeting with 17 directors on Sunday afternoon led to the formal request to the ICC.
A BCB official explained, “India said that they are unable to provide security for one player, so how can they give security for the whole team? We had to take the decision considering not just the players and support staff. We have to think about the fans and journalists who will travel to India. We can’t play in India. We can play in Sri Lanka.”
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The BCCI has not confirmed whether its instruction to release Mustafizur was due to security concerns.
Moving Bangladesh’s fixtures could create further complications, as the 2026 T20 World Cup is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, and the tournament does not follow a hybrid model like the 2025 Champions Trophy.
In addition, the BCB has written to the BCCI seeking an explanation for Mustafizur’s release from the KKR squad, although the letter does not directly address security concerns, which have been communicated to the ICC.
