image source, ICC/BCB
Bangladesh is adamant about not setting foot on Indian soil to participate in the T20 World Cup.
BCB’s meeting with the ICC delegation, which came to discuss Bangladesh’s decision not to play in the T20 World Cup to be held in India, ended on Saturday night.
According to reports from various sources, the Bangladesh Cricket Board or BCB insisted on maintaining their previous position in the meeting.
In other words, the Bangladesh match should be moved from India to Sri Lanka, it told the ICC.
After the meeting, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said in a statement that it would “continue constructive discussions” with the ICC on the issue.
“During discussions the BCB reiterated their official request to shift their matches to Sri Lanka,” the statement said.
The answer is still unclear as to when the tension that started with Bangladesh pacer Mostafizur Rahman’s exclusion from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for the IPL 2026 season on the orders of the Indian Cricket Board will end.
Rather, much still depends on the ICC’s decision.
Besides the Bangladesh team not going to India, another important issue came up in the discussion, BCB said.
“The possibility of shifting Bangladesh to another group was also discussed,” the statement said.
After the meeting, several Bangladeshi and Indian media reported that the ICC and BCB had discussed whether it was possible to change Bangladesh’s group with Ireland.
However, citing Cricket Ireland, cricket information website Cricbuzz reported in a news that BCB has offered to swap groups with Ireland in the T20 World Cup. But Ireland is “not moving from the original schedule”.
image source, Getty Images
According to BCB, in Saturday’s meeting the ICC delegation was attended by General Manager of Events and Corporate Communications Gaurav Saxena and General Manager of Integrity Unit Andrew Fgrave.
President Aminul Islam Bulbul, Vice President Sakhawat Hossain, Cricket Operations Committee Chairman Nazmul Abedin and Chief Executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury represented BCB in the meeting.
“These discussions were conducted constructively, sincerely and professionally, and all parties discussed the issues openly,” the statement said.
image source, Getty Images
Offer to change groups with Ireland?
Bangladesh was in Group B in this year’s World Cup. The teams other than Bangladesh were initially in that group, they were West Indies, Italy, England and Nepal.
As per the preliminary fixture, Bangladesh’s first match is scheduled to be played on February 7 at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata.
Then on February 9th and 14th matches against Italy and England were also scheduled at the same ground.
And on February 17, Bangladesh is scheduled to face Nepal in the last match of the group stage at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
On the other hand, all four matches of Ireland are scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka.
Ireland’s first match is against Sri Lanka on February 8 at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Then they are scheduled to play against Australia on 11th and Oman on 14th at the same venue.
Their final group stage match against Zimbabwe is scheduled to be played at the Pallekelle Stadium.
This issue of group change came into discussion mainly as a way to avoid going to India.
Meanwhile, Cricket Ireland has confirmed in a statement that BCB has offered to swap groups with Ireland to participate in the T20 World Cup, Cricbuzz reported.
“We have been assured that we will not move from the original schedule,” Cricket Ireland told Cricbuzz.
Incidentally, amid strong opposition from some Indian religious and political leaders, the Indian media reported that the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mostafizur Rahman from the IPL 2026 team on January 13.
Soon after, KKR dropped Mostafizur Rahman from their squad for IPL 2026.
Cricinfo then reported that KKR took the step after the BCCI gave them ‘directions’ due to geopolitical “recent developments” in the region.
Earlier, Board Secretary Debjit Saikia told news agency ANI, “This decision has been taken in the context of the recent situation in Bangladesh”.
Bangladesh protested this incident. Asif Nazrul, sports adviser to the interim government, posted a post on his verified page on Facebook that night.
There he wrote, “The Cricket Board of India has ordered the Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladeshi cricketer Mostafizur Rahman from the team for bowing down to extremist sectarian groups. I strongly condemn and protest against it”.
“…where a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going to the World Cup,” wrote Asif Nazrul.
He also mentioned there to give instructions to BCB to take the World Cup games of Bangladesh to Sri Lanka.
A face-to-face meeting was held today after correspondence with the ICC.
