In a major escalation of sporting and diplomatic tensions, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially announced that the national team will not travel to India for its scheduled matches in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The decision, finalised during an emergency meeting on Sunday, January 4, comes after BCCI’s instruction to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from his IPL 2026 contract amid the deteriorating political ties between the two countries.
Bangladesh are scheduled to play their T20 World Cup matches against the West Indies, Italy, and England on February 7, 9, and 14 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata before facing Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 17.
“An emergency meeting of the Board of Directors of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was held this afternoon to discuss recent developments related to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
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The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India,” the BCB said in a statement on Sunday.
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,” it added.
BCB’s Formal Request To International Cricket Council
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift all of Bangladesh’s 2026 T20 World Cup matches out of India, citing growing concerns over the safety and security of its contingent.
“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 BCB further said in the statement.
“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 Bangladesh Cricket Board looks forward to the ICC’s understanding of the situation and an urgent response on this matter,” it added.
BCB Revokes Mustafizurr Rahman’s NOC For IPL
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have decided to revoke the No Objection Certificate (NOC) granted to Mustafizur Rahman to play in the IPL with immediate effect.
The call was made at a meeting involving BCB officials and the relevant authorities, meaning that even if KKR reverse their stance, the BCB will not grant Mustafizur permission to participate in the IPL due to security concerns.
No IPL Coverage In Bangladesh?
The situation regarding IPL coverage in Bangladesh has become highly uncertain due to a major diplomatic and sporting row after Mustafizur Rahman’s exit from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad.
Bangladesh’s sports adviser Asif Nazrul has asked to stop broadcasting IPL matches in Bangladesh.
“Additionally, I have asked the Adviser for Information and Broadcasting to suspend the broadcast of IPL matches in Bangladesh. Under no circumstances will we tolerate any disrespect toward Bangladesh cricket, Bangladeshi cricketers, or Bangladesh itself,” Nazrul said.