The International Cricket Council (ICC) is open to shifting Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures out of India after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) formally requested a venue change citing security concerns, Cricbuzz reported.
The development follows the controversy surrounding Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s axing from the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Mustafizur, who would have been the sole Bangladeshi representative in the IPL 2026, was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for Rs 9.2 crore in the mini-auction last month. However, as reports of atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh increased, there was growing demand of removing the left-arm quick from the league.
On Saturday (January 3) morning, the BCCI confirmed that KKR had been instructed to release Mustafizur and the franchise obliged to the board’s diktat within a few hours.
In the wake of this move, the BCB wrote to the ICC seeking to have their matches relocated to Sri Lanka, the co-host of the T20 World Cup.
While no final decision has been made, the apex body is understood to be considering the request, with player safety a key factor in its deliberations.
Following Mustafizur’s release, Bangladesh's interim government directed the BCB to seek a change of venue for the team's matches at the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
The development was confirmed by Bangladesh's sports adviser, Asif Nazrul through a social media post on Saturday evening.
Nazrul said the interim government has directed the BCB to formally inform the ICC and propose Sri Lanka as an alternative venue for Bangladesh's matches in the marquee event.
In a strong statement, Nazrul stated that they 'will not accept the humiliation of Bangladesh, Bangladeshi cricket, or Bangladeshi cricketers', while also hinting that the board will halt the broadcast of IPL matches in the country.
"Bowing to extremist communal forces, the Indian cricket board has directed Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the team. I strongly condemn and protest this," Nazrul wrote on Facebook.
"As the minister in charge of the Sports Ministry, I have instructed the Cricket Board to write to the ICC explaining the entire matter. The board must clearly state that if a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite having a valid contract, then Bangladesh cannot consider it safe for its entire cricket team to travel to India to play the World Cup. I have also directed the board to formally request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka," he added.
"I have requested the Minister of Information and Broadcasting to stop the broadcast of IPL matches in Bangladesh as well. Under no circumstances will we accept the humiliation of Bangladesh, Bangladeshi cricket, or Bangladeshi cricketers. The days of slavery are over," concluded Nazrul.
Bangladesh are scheduled to play their T20 World Cup 2026 matches against the West Indies (February 7), Italy (February 9), and England (February 14) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and Nepal (February 17) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
(With Cricbuzz Inputs)
