Bangladesh won’t play T20 World Cup matches in India

Bangladesh has reiterated its refusal to play the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India, maintaining that its fixtures should be shifted to Sri Lanka amid security and political concerns.

The stance was reaffirmed following a meeting in Dhaka between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), senior national cricketers and the government’s sports adviser, according to ESPN Cricinfo. Officials said the position remains unchanged despite the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejecting Bangladesh’s request earlier this week.

"We will continue to communicate with the ICC. We want to play the World Cup, but we won't play in India. We will keep fighting," Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam Bulbul told media persons.

The BCB chief said the board would again approach the ICC with a proposal to play in Sri Lanka. 

He also added that ICC will miss out on 200 million people watching the World Cup if Bangladesh opts out.

He questioned why ICC is calling Sri Lanka co-hosts, when it is just a hybrid model.

According to the report, government sports adviser Asif Nazrul stated that Bangladesh is hopeful that ICC will give them the opportunity to play in Sri Lanka, and the government has decided that Bangladesh players will not travel to India.

On Wednesday, after an ICC Board meeting, the global governing body dismissed Bangladesh’s security concerns and reiterated that the tournament would go ahead as scheduled in India and Sri Lanka. The ICC also warned that Bangladesh could be replaced by Scotland in the T20 World Cup if it continues to insist on not playing its matches in India.

India and Sri Lanka are set to co-host the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin in February, with India hosting the majority of matches.

Bangladesh, however, has remained adamant that its league-stage fixtures be moved to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns and strained bilateral relations.