ICC Stands Firm: Bangladesh Must Play T20 World Cup Matches in India or Face Replacement
The International Cricket Council has delivered a definitive ruling, rejecting Bangladesh's formal request to have their matches relocated from India for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. The decision, confirmed at an ICC board meeting on Wednesday 21 January 2026, leaves Bangladesh with a stark choice: participate in India as scheduled or be replaced in the tournament by Scotland.
Security Concerns Dismissed Amid Political Tensions
Bangladesh's cricket authorities had formally petitioned the ICC to move their tournament fixtures to Sri Lanka, citing escalating diplomatic tensions with India and unspecified security concerns. This request followed weeks of strained relations between Dhaka and Delhi, highlighted by the controversial release of Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from his contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.
The BCB's appeal reportedly received backing from Pakistan at the ICC board meeting, with Pakistan already scheduled to play all their matches in Sri Lanka as part of the co-hosting arrangement. However, the ICC's security assessments concluded there was no credible threat to Bangladesh players, officials, or media personnel should they travel to India for the tournament.
Scotland Await Potential Tournament Call-Up
The ICC's statement made clear the consequences of non-compliance. Should Bangladesh refuse to travel to India, they would be replaced by Scotland based on current team rankings. This would mark a significant opportunity for the Scottish side to compete at cricket's premier T20 event.
An ICC spokesperson elaborated on the decision-making process, stating: "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 spokesperson continued: "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."
Tournament Logistics and Precedent Concerns
The ICC emphasised that relocating fixtures would create significant logistical challenges and could establish problematic precedents for future tournaments. The governing body stressed that its decisions are guided by objective threat assessments and host guarantees that apply uniformly to all twenty competing nations.
"Doing so would carry significant logistical and scheduling consequences for other teams and fans worldwide," the spokesperson noted, "and would also create far-reaching precedent-related challenges that risk undermining the neutrality, fairness, and integrity of ICC governance."
Bangladesh's Tournament Schedule
Bangladesh are scheduled to begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the West Indies in Kolkata on 7 February, the tournament's opening day. Their fixture list also includes a high-profile match against England at Eden Gardens on 14 February, plus games against Italy and Nepal.
The ICC maintains that Bangladesh's concerns about player participation in domestic leagues are unrelated to tournament security frameworks. "This linkage has no bearing on the tournament's security framework or the conditions governing participation," the spokesperson stated.
With the tournament rapidly approaching, Bangladesh now faces a critical decision that could determine their participation in one of cricket's most prestigious events while Scotland prepares for potential inclusion should the Asian side withdraw.
