The T20 World Cup 2026 tournament will kick off from February 7, with the first game scheduled to be played between Pakistan and the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. As of now, Bangladesh will also begin its campaign on the same day with a clash against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata
Bangladesh cricket team (Pic: File Pic)
Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to decide on their participation in the marquee event or risk being replaced by another team.
Despite holding a meeting, no solution was found for the crisis that was triggered after the removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The move came after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asked the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release the pacer ahead of the upcoming season.
"The BCB officials have been told to decide on the participation by January 21. If they refuse to travel to India, then they should be ready to be replaced by another team as per rankings," said an ICC source.
Earlier, the BCB had urged the ICC to shift their T20 World Cup 2026 from India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns and national pride.
However, considering that the tournament's schedule is already finalised, the ICC has shown reluctance to move Bangladesh's World Cup matches out of India.
In case Bangladesh decide to pull out of the tournament, the replacement team would likely be Scotland based on the current rankings. The Bengal Tigers are scheduled to play their league matches in Mumbai and Kolkata.
The BCB has remained adamant on either a change of venue or a change of groups to facilitate its games in Sri Lanka. Currently, Bangladesh is placed in Group C along with the West Indies, Italy, England and Nepal.
While the BCB considers it unsafe for its players to travel to India, ICC's risk assessment report does not flag any specific or direct threat to the team if it participates in the tournament.
The T20 World Cup 2026 tournament will kick off from February 7, with the first game scheduled to be played between Pakistan and the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka.
As of now, Bangladesh will also begin its campaign on the same day with a clash against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
(With PTI Inputs)
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