The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that Bangladesh’s matches in the upcoming 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup will be held in India, in accordance with the original schedule.
This decision followed an ICC Board meeting, conducted via video conferencing, where all members were present. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had requested a relocation of its fixtures to Sri Lanka, attributed to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to remove Mustafizur from its IPL 2026 squad amidst escalating tensions between the two countries.
The ICC stated that their decision is based on security assessments, including independent reviews, which identified no threats to Bangladesh players, officials, media, or fans at any tournament venues in India. An ICC spokesperson remarked, “Over the past several weeks, the ICC has engaged with the BCB in sustained and constructive dialogue, with the clear objective of enabling Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament.”
The ICC asserted, “During this period, the ICC has shared detailed inputs, including independent security assessments, comprehensive venue-level security plans, and formal assurances from the host authorities, all of which consistently concluded that there is no credible or verifiable threat to the safety or security of the Bangladesh team in India.”
Despite these communications, the BCB upheld its stance, consistently linking its participation in the tournament to a single, isolated, and unrelated issue regarding one of its players’ involvement in a domestic league. The ICC spokesperson added, “This linkage has no bearing on the tournament’s security framework or the conditions governing participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.”
Bangladesh’s current itinerary includes matches against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, followed by a game against Nepal on February 17 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The ICC also emphasized that changes to the tournament schedule were not feasible so close to the event. It cautioned that altering the schedule without a credible security risk could set a concerning precedent that undermines future ICC events’ neutrality.
The global governing body highlighted its extensive dialogue with the BCB, sharing detailed security plans and assurances from host authorities. This included an in-person meeting held in Dhaka on January 17, led by Andrew Ephgrave, ICC’s General Manager in the Integrity Unit, and Gaurav Saxena, General Manager, Events and Corporate Communications, who participated virtually.
“ICC’s venue and scheduling decisions are guided by objective threat assessments, host guarantees, and the tournament’s agreed terms of participation, which apply uniformly to all 20 competing nations. In the absence of any independent security findings that materially compromise the safety of the Bangladesh team, the ICC is unable to relocate fixtures,” the spokesperson added.
The ICC further warned, “Doing so would carry significant logistical and scheduling consequences for other teams and fans worldwide, and would also create far-reaching precedent-related challenges that risk undermining the neutrality, fairness, and integrity of ICC governance. The ICC remains committed to acting in good faith, upholding consistent standards, and safeguarding the collective interests of the global game.”
Should Bangladesh withdraw from the mega event, Scotland is expected to step in, being the 14th-ranked team in T20Is and the highest-ranked side not already qualified.