The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to relocate its matches in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup out of India, holding firm on the existing schedule after an emergency board meeting on Monday.
The decision was reportedly taken following a vote by the 16-member ICC Board, with all but two members opposing any changes to the tournament plan. With the final ruling, the T20 World Cup, scheduled to run from February 7 to March 8, 2026, will proceed as originally announced, with India as host.
Cricbuzz reported that the BCB has now been given 24 hours to confirm whether it will participate in the tournament under the current arrangements.
ICC reject BCB’s request to relocate their matches- What happens next
If Bangladesh choose not to travel to India, the ICC is expected to replace them with another team based on T20I rankings. Scotland, currently ranked 14th and the highest-ranked side not already qualified, are the frontrunners to take Bangladesh’s place, sources indicated.
Bangladesh have been drawn in Group C alongside West Indies, England, Nepal and Italy, with three of their group matches scheduled in Kolkata, followed by a final fixture in Mumbai.
Any withdrawal at this stage would mark a rare mid-cycle change to the World Cup lineup and could have financial and competitive implications for the BCB, including potential forfeiture of participation-related revenues.
ICC cites security assurances
In a statement issued after the meeting, the ICC reiterated that the decision was based on multiple security assessments.
“The decision was taken after considering all security assessments conducted, including independent reviews, all of which indicated there was no threat to Bangladesh players, media persons, officials and fans at any of the tournament venues in India,” the ICC said.
The global body also dismissed BCB’s attempts to link its concerns to Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion from the IPL, calling it an unrelated issue.
An ICC spokesperson said the council had engaged in “sustained and constructive dialogue” with the BCB over the past several weeks and had shared independent security assessments, venue-level security plans and formal assurances from host authorities.
“Despite these efforts, the BCB maintained its position, repeatedly linking its participation in the tournament to a single, isolated and unrelated development concerning one of its player’s involvement in a domestic league,” the spokesperson said.
“This linkage has no bearing on the tournament’s security framework or the conditions governing participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.”
With the clock now ticking, the spotlight shifts to Dhaka, where the BCB must decide whether to comply with the ICC ruling or risk missing out on the sport’s marquee global event.