Bangladesh Pulls Out of India-Hosted T20 World Cup

New Delhi, Jan 2026 : Bangladesh has decided not to travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, a move that signals a sharp escalation in cricketing and diplomatic tensions between the two neighbouring countries. The decision was announced by Asif Nazrul, an advisor to the Bangladesh government who also oversees the country’s youth and sports ministry, following an emergency meeting of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and senior officials.

The development comes in the wake of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman being removed from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Rahman, who had become the most expensive Bangladeshi player ever after being bought by KKR for Rs 9.20 crore at last month’s mini-auction, was released from the squad after instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Nazrul said the BCB took the decision after assessing the situation created by Rahman’s exclusion and the broader atmosphere surrounding Bangladeshi players in India. In a Facebook post, he stated that Bangladesh would not participate in the T20 World Cup matches scheduled to be held in India. “Bangladesh will not go to India to play the World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has taken this decision today. We welcome this decision, which has been taken in the context of the aggressive communal policies of the Indian Cricket Board,” Nazrul wrote.

The Bangladeshi advisor expressed serious concerns over the safety and dignity of his country’s cricketers, particularly after reports that Rahman was not allowed to play in India following demands by some groups in connection with incidents of communal violence in Bangladesh. According to Nazrul, if a contracted Bangladeshi player could be prevented from playing in India, it raised fundamental questions about whether the national team could safely travel there for a global tournament.

In an earlier post, Nazrul said he had instructed the BCB to submit a detailed written explanation of the matter to the International Cricket Council (ICC). He directed the board to clearly convey that Bangladesh could not feel secure sending its national team to India under the prevailing circumstances. He also asked the BCB to formally request the ICC to shift Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup fixtures to a neutral venue, preferably Sri Lanka.

As per the existing schedule, Bangladesh are set to play four T20 World Cup matches in India — against the West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, England on February 14, and Nepal on February 17. These matches were slated to be held at two iconic venues: Eden Gardens in Kolkata and the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Beyond the World Cup issue, Nazrul also signalled a tougher stance on the IPL. He said he had asked the advisor in charge of information and broadcasting to suspend the telecast of IPL matches in Bangladesh. “Under no circumstances will we tolerate any disrespect toward Bangladesh cricket, Bangladeshi cricketers, or Bangladesh itself,” he said, indicating that the issue had moved beyond sport into the realm of national dignity.

The decision has added a new layer of uncertainty to the T20 World Cup preparations and could pose a significant challenge for the ICC, which may now be forced to intervene to resolve the standoff. It also underscores how political and social tensions are increasingly spilling over into international sport, with cricket once again finding itself at the centre of a broader regional dispute.