Bangladesh will not go to India to play the World Cup, BCB decides

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided not to go to India to play the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. This important decision was taken in an emergency meeting held with 17 BCB board directors on Sunday (January 4) afternoon. The board has taken such a position keeping in mind the security of Bangladeshi cricketers on Indian soil and the recent diplomatic-cricket reality.

The issue has been discussed anew since the incident of excluding Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL. The BCB directors also held an online meeting on Saturday night. At that time, most of the directors were in favor of not taking any drastic action. However, after the government's intervention and reviewing the overall situation, the board changed its decision and changed its position.

When asked about this, BCB's head of cricket management department Nazmul Abedin said, "BCB's position on this issue will be clarified very soon through an official press release." He said that the decision was not made out of immediate emotions, but considering the overall situation.

Ever since Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the IPL, there have been concerns about the safety of Bangladesh cricketers during the World Cup. In this context, the BCB believes that playing in India in the current situation may be risky. Therefore, the board has decided to send a formal letter to the ICC requesting a change of venue.

It is worth noting that India and Sri Lanka are the joint hosts of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. According to the published schedule, Bangladesh was scheduled to take the field against the West Indies in Kolkata, India on the opening day of the tournament on February 7. Bangladesh's remaining three matches in the group stage were also scheduled to be held in Kolkata and Mumbai.

In the meantime, the BCB announced a 15-member Bangladesh team on Sunday morning ahead of the World Cup. The team, announced with Liton Das as its captain, was supposed to participate in the World Cup. However, the BCB's latest decision has created new uncertainty about Bangladesh's participation in the World Cup and the venue, which has also sparked discussions in the international cricket arena.