New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering strict action against Bangladesh if it refuses to tour India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, sources said on Friday, as the standoff over security concerns deepened.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah is in Dubai to take a final call on the issue after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) sought to move its World Cup matches out of India to Sri Lanka, citing safety concerns for its players. The ICC has rejected the request, citing independent risk assessments that found no specific or direct threat to the Bangladesh team, officials or venues in India, and rated the overall risk as low to moderate.
The dispute comes amid strained India-Bangladesh relations over reported crimes against minorities in Bangladesh. Tensions escalated after Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their 2026 squad following public pressure in India, after which the BCB raised safety concerns over travelling to India.
Despite the ICC’s decision, BCB President Ami-nul Islam said the board would not back down. “We want to play the World Cup, but we won’t play in India. We will keep fighting,” he said, criticising the handling of the Mustafizur episode and alleging that India acted as the sole decision-maker. Bangladesh’s Youth and Sports Adviser
Asif Nazrul echoed the stance, saying the ICC and the Indian government had failed to address Dhaka’s concerns.
Under the current schedule, Bangladesh are due to begin their T20 World Cup campaign on February 7 against West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, followed by matches against Italy and England at the same venue, before travelling to Mumbai to face Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium.