Bangladesh will not travel to India to play its matches at the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held jointly by India and Sri Lanka next month. Citing serious security risks, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it is unable to send the national team to India.
The decision was taken on Sunday (4 December) at a BCB board meeting attended by 17 directors. A day earlier, on Saturday night (3 December), board members had also held an online meeting. While the majority of directors initially favored avoiding any drastic step, the board’s position shifted following government intervention.
Commenting on the matter, BCB’s Head of Cricket Operations, Nazmul Abedeen, told the media:
“We will be issuing an official press release shortly to clearly outline our position on this issue.”
Multiple factors have contributed to the BCB’s concerns. Recent political tensions, the spread of anti-Bangladesh hate speech on social media, and a controversy surrounding national team star left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman have further complicated the situation. In particular, the decision by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to exclude Mustafizur from the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders significantly heightened the BCB’s apprehensions regarding the safety of Bangladeshi players.
Against this backdrop, the BCB made its stance unequivocally clear in an email sent to the ICC, stating:
“Due to security concerns, it is not possible for Bangladesh to send its team to participate in the T20 World Cup matches scheduled to be held in India.”
The board has also requested that, if necessary, Bangladesh’s World Cup fixtures be relocated to Sri Lanka.
It may be noted that India and Sri Lanka are the joint hosts of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. According to the original schedule, Bangladesh were set to face the West Indies in the tournament’s opening match on 7 February in Kolkata. Their remaining three group-stage matches were also slated to be played in Kolkata and Mumbai.
Earlier on Sunday morning, the BCB announced a 15-member squad for the tournament, naming Litton Das as captain. However, the latest decision taken over security concerns has cast fresh uncertainty over Bangladesh’s participation in the World Cup.