A final decision on Bangladesh’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 — and whether the team will travel to India — will be taken by January 21, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has communicated this deadline to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) during discussions held in Dhaka on Saturday.
Saturday’s meeting was the second round of talks between the ICC and BCB within a week. During the discussions, the BCB reiterated that Bangladesh is willing to play in the T20 World Cup, but only outside India. With Sri Lanka being the co-host, the BCB has suggested it as the preferred alternative venue. However, the ICC has made it clear that it does not intend to alter the tournament schedule and has maintained Bangladesh’s placement in Group C.
The standoff has continued for nearly three weeks, ever since the BCB first raised its concerns on January 4. The issue has gained urgency with the tournament scheduled to begin on February 7. Bangladesh are set to play their opening match against the West Indies in Kolkata, which is also the venue for their next two group matches, before a final group game in Mumbai.
During the talks, the ICC also rejected the BCB’s request to move Bangladesh to Group B, which would have allowed them to play all group matches in Sri Lanka by swapping positions with Ireland. The ICC has repeatedly assured the BCB that there is no specific security threat to the Bangladesh team in India.
An advisory issued by an independent security agency to all 20 participating teams has assessed the overall security risk in India as medium to high, but clarified that there is no direct or targeted threat to any team.
Sources familiar with the discussions have indicated that the ICC will now wait for the BCB to make a final call. If Bangladesh ultimately refuses to travel to India, the ICC is likely to replace them with Scotland, the next eligible team based on current rankings.
The dispute began after Kolkata Knight Riders released Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad, reportedly following instructions from the BCCI. While no official reason was provided, the move triggered strong reactions in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government subsequently banned IPL broadcasts, and the BCB formally informed the ICC of its decision not to play World Cup matches in India — a position it has maintained so far.
