NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate all Bangladesh matches in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup-2026 to venues outside India, citing safety and security concerns.
The tournament is scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from March 26.
The move comes just a day after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL squad following instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
At an emergency meeting of its board of directors on Sunday, the BCB reviewed the recent developments, including rising diplomatic tensions with India. The board expressed “deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh national team in matches scheduled to be played in India”.
After a thorough assessment and on the advice of the Bangladesh government, the BCB resolved that the national team will not travel to India under the present conditions, citing the need to safeguard the safety and well-being of players, officials and other stakeholders.
The strained relations between the two neighbours have been exacerbated by continued violence against minorities in Bangladesh, including the brutal killings of four Hindu men in separate incidents in recent weeks. These incidents triggered outrage in India and reportedly prompted the BCCI to instruct KKR to release Rahman from their IPL squad.
Rahman was acquired by KKR for Rs 9.20 crore in last month’s IPL auction.