T20 World Cup 2026: BCB Seeks For Sri Lanka As Venue

In a similar statement, Bangladesh’s sports advisor, Asif Nazrul, reiterated the BCB’s demand to move the T20 World Cup 2026 matches involving Bangladesh from India to Sri Lanka, citing security issues. He confirmed the Cricket Board of Bangladesh’s continued discussion with the ICC to convey the gravity of the matter, which was referred to as a matter of player safety and national pride.

Asif Nazrul embraces security and dignity as the essence of the BCB’s position

In his address to the media on Wednesday, Asif Nazrul said that the ICC has not yet realised the full extent of the risks faced by the Bangladesh cricketers in India. He repeated his claim that it is not merely about the risks faced by the cricketers but about their national respect.

Nazrul pointed out the BCCI’s order to Kolkata Knight Riders that excluded Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for IPL 2026 as a strong indicator of safety issues. To him, their move is an implicit recognition that conditions are not safe enough for Bangladesh cricketers.

Mustafizur Rahman Incident Escalates T20 World Cup 2026 Dispute

Further, the dispute worsened after removing Mustafizur Rahman, a member of the IPL 2026 team, without any concrete reason. After this incident, the broadcasting of IPL in Bangladesh is banned by the government, and a letter is also written by BCB to ICC, refusing to hold the T20 World Cup 2026 in India.

Bangladesh have currently been assigned matches of the group stage in Kolkata and Mumbai, with these stadiums now at the heart of the conflict.

BCB, ICC in Ongoing Talks

In a conversation between the ICC and the BCB on Tuesday, the BCB had to clarify that it has not received any ultimatum regarding this issue from the ICC and would continue its “constructive engagement” on this issue. Later on the same day, however, a representative of the BCB again reiterated Bangladesh’s stance by saying that the team has no inclination to visit India to compete.

Bangladesh Want to Play T20 World Cup 2026 in Sri Lanka

Nazrul emphasized that the Bangladesh government does not intend to withdraw from the tournament altogether. Rather, the BCB would like the matches for the Bangladesh T20 World Cup 2026 to be held in the other host country, which is Sri Lanka.

He again said Bangladesh is determined to join the World Cup but on no condition can they compromise regarding the security of their players or the dignity of their country.

President of BCB Supportive of Government’s Stand

BCB President Aminul Islam agreed with Nazrul on this issue and said:

“It’s not only about us; it’s about the fans, it’s about the media, it’s about everyone. It has to be looked after.”

He also revealed that the BCB is strictly following the direction of the Bangladesh government regarding this issue and that it is a mandatory requirement to take approval from the Bangladesh government for any further proceeding.

The point Islamist would like to make here is that security-based changes to Cricket World Cup scheduling have happened before, as he refers to previous ICC events that shifted games or were held through hybrid systems based on similar concerns.

Uncertain Future for Bangladesh in T20 World Cup 2026

If the ICC does not agree to reschedule the fixtures involving Bangladesh to be held in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh does not agree to travel to India, then essentially the team could be excluded from participating in the T20 World Cup 2026, as all the team’s fixtures are to be held in India.

Currently, however, the BCB is still trying to persuade the ICC that there is a warranting environment for a change of venue and hoping for an impartial and just verdict.