ICC issues final ultimatum to Bangladesh regarding T20 World Cup

January 21, 2026

New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has issued a final warning to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) regarding its participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup to be held in India. The ICC has given the BCB an additional 24 hours to reverse its decision. If Bangladesh refuses to travel to India, it will be expelled from the 20-team tournament and replaced by another team. According to sources, Scotland is considered the strongest option.

ICC did not change the tournament schedule

On January 21, the ICC held a meeting with all full member teams, in which the BCB was clearly informed that its matches would not be moved from India to Sri Lanka. The ICC reiterated that there is no security threat in India and the tournament will be held as scheduled.

In a vote held by the 16-member board, 14 members voted against the schedule change, while only two members were in favor of Bangladesh.

Despite this, the BCB remained firm on its decision on Wednesday. If the stance is not changed by January 22, Bangladesh will be officially expelled from the tournament. The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

Uncertainty among players, captain expresses concern

Bangladesh is placed in Group C along with England, West Indies, Nepal, and Italy. Three of the team’s matches are scheduled to be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and one at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Although the team has already been announced, uncertainty persists among the players.

Captain Liton Das said on Tuesday that the players themselves do not know whether they will be able to play the tournament.

How ​​the controversy started

This entire controversy is believed to be linked to the recent increased tension between India and Bangladesh. Over the past month, several incidents involving the killing of Hindus in Bangladesh have escalated public sentiment against Bangladesh in India.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released by the IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Despite purchasing him for ₹9.20 crore, the franchise faced widespread criticism, citing the decision as against national sentiments.

BCB’s Demand and ICC’s Tough Stance

Following Rahman’s exit from the IPL, the BCB requested the ICC to host its T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka instead of India. The two organizations exchanged emails several times, but no solution was reached.

The ICC clarified that there was no security threat in India and that Bangladesh would be required to travel as scheduled. Last week, an ICC delegation also visited Dhaka to persuade the BCB, but the talks remained inconclusive.

The ICC then set a January 21st deadline, making it clear that if Bangladesh refused to travel to India, they would be expelled from the tournament and replaced by the next best-ranked team.