Bangladesh will not play its T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures in India over concerns about the players’ safety, following the removal of a top Bangladeshi player from the Indian Premier League (IPL), a government official has said.
Amid growing political tension between the South Asian neighbours, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move its games to Sri Lanka and sought clarity on fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman’s abrupt removal from the IPL, youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul said on Sunday.
“Bangladesh will not go to India to play the World Cup. The board [BCB] has taken this decision today,” Nazrul said in a statement, adding, “We welcome this decision taken in the context of the extreme communal policy of India’s cricket board.”
After Mustafizur’s release on Saturday, the BCB held an emergency meeting and was planning to write to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches and raise concerns about player safety.
“The board should inform that where a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going to play in the World Cup,” Asif wrote in a social media post on Saturday.
“I have also instructed the board to request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches should be held in Sri Lanka,” he added. “We will not accept any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers and Bangladesh under any circumstances. The days of slavery are over.”
BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul said the board will prioritise player safety.
'Decision taken in the context of the extreme communal policy of India's cricket board,' says Bangladeshi official.
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