They say someone’s loss is someone’s gain. But here, in the case of Bangladesh boycotting the T20 World Cup 2026, to be hosted in India and Sri Lanka, it is a gain for not just one but two young cricketing nations: Italy and Nepal, which are making their maiden and third World Cup appearances, respectively.
Why are Bangladesh boycotting the T20 World Cup 2026?
The Bangladesh cricket team has decided to opt out of the tournament after the ICC turned down their request to host their matches outside of India. The Bangladesh board cited the political tension between Dhaka and New Delhi and the security threat to their players as a reason for the request.
The whole standoff between the ICC and Bangladesh Cricket Board began after ace pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) despite being picked for INR 9.20 crore. The decision was taken after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed the IPL franchise to let go of him.
Even the sports advisor to Bangladesh’s interim government cited that example, saying, “This concern is not based on any abstract or hypothetical idea; rather, it stems from a real incident in which the Indian cricket board failed to provide security to one of our top players [Mustafizur Rahman] under pressure from extremists, and he was asked to leave India.”
How do Italy and Nepal gain big?
Italy and Nepal are in the same group as Bangladesh. So if Bangladesh are out, they would most likely be replaced by Scotland. Beating Bangladesh and beating Scotland in subcontinental conditions are totally different ball games.
The two teams stand a higher chance of being able to compete on level footing with the European country. In fact, both of them have beaten Scotland in the past.
There is also a clear precedent for such a replacement.
Has this happened before?
In 2009, Zimbabwe were set to play the T20 World Cup as a qualified team on the basis of rankings. However, since the Robert Mugabe government, then in power in Zimbabwe, was not favourable to the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe were asked by the ICC not to travel, and the next best-ranked side, Scotland, were picked instead. Zimbabwe were paid their entire tournament fee as a settlement by the ICC.
How will beating Scotland be a gain for Italy and Nepal?
While Italy are playing their first-ever World Cup, Nepal, despite being on the biggest stage twice, have not managed to get their maiden win. With Bangladesh out of the action, they can try to get their maiden wins in two matches — against each other and against Scotland.
They also have to pull off just one surprise win, and they might secure a place for themselves in the next edition of the T20 World Cup, to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
What do the T20 World Cup qualification rules say about finishing higher at the group stage?
According to the ICC qualification rules, the teams that finish in the top eight, minus the hosts of the next tournament, get direct qualification.
So for the 2028 World Cup, 12 teams will qualify directly. Australia and New Zealand as co-hosts, and then if they make the Super Eight, then the remaining six teams. Thus, it will leave four spots to be filled by the best-ranked teams.
Considering that one of the three among Italy, Scotland, and Nepal were unable to pull off a surprise win against either West Indies or England, they can still win two games and finish third. If they have a better net run rate than the other third-finished sides, they will then skip the first leg of the regional qualifiers and play directly in the final regional qualifiers, giving them an edge over the other qualified teams.
But, if they pull even one surprise win and win the remaining two games against easier opponents, then not only this World Cup, but they will also be set for the next one in 2028.