The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected Bangladesh’s request to relocate their T20 World Cup 2026 matches out of India after a board meeting on Wednesday (January 21). The decision was arrived after a voting from the ICC members. Only two of the 16-member board wanted a change in the current schedule.
Bangladesh, now have been given a 24-hour deadline, to decide whether or not they want to play their matches in India. In case, Bangladesh wants to stick to its decision, Scotland will replace them in Group C of the marquee event.
PCB intervention: Pakistan backed Bangladesh ahead of ICC deadline
The PCB had earlier written to the ICC on Tuesday, a day before the governing body’s self-imposed January 21 deadline to resolve the issue. The ICC is understood to have convened a Board meeting on Wednesday to deliberate on the BCB’s request to shift Bangladesh’s group-stage matches out of India and stage them in Sri Lanka, the tournament’s co-host.
While it remains unclear whether the PCB’s intervention directly prompted the meeting, the timing coincides with the ICC’s deadline, less than three weeks before the tournament begins on February 7.
ICC holds firm on existing itinerary
Despite the latest developments, the ICC’s position remains unchanged. The governing body has consistently maintained that the World Cup schedule will not be altered and that Bangladesh’s matches will go ahead as originally planned in India.
According to Espncricinfo, the ICC has conveyed to the BCB during multiple interactions that relocating Bangladesh’s fixtures entirely to Sri Lanka is not under consideration.
Government backing hardens Bangladesh stance
The BCB’s refusal to travel to India is backed by the Bangladesh government, which has cited player safety concerns. The matter has been discussed in several meetings between the ICC and the BCB, including talks held in Dhaka last weekend.
However, neither side has shifted ground so far, with the ICC insisting that the tournament must proceed as scheduled.
The India-Bangladesh standoff: Why the BCB is refusing to travel
The dispute can be traced back to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asking Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman ahead of IPL 2026. While no official explanation was offered, the development was seen against the backdrop of strained political ties between the two countries.
That episode triggered the Bangladesh government’s formal communication that the national team would not play its World Cup matches in India.
With the ICC Board now deliberating, clarity on Bangladesh’s participation is expected later on Wednesday, with potential implications for the tournament’s final line-up and schedule.