Bangladesh refuses to play T20 World Cup matches in India

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it is unwilling to play matches in India during the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, citing security concerns.

The move further underlines the growing strain in cricketing ties between Bangladesh and India, which have remained tense since August 5, 2024. Relations reportedly deteriorated further after Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was excluded from the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Bangladesh are scheduled to play all four of their group-stage matches at Indian venues in the T20 World Cup. However, the BCB has sent an official letter to the ICC stating that the team will not travel to India for the tournament and has requested a change of venue.

Although the board initially considered raising multiple issues with the ICC, it ultimately limited its communication to a single demand. The decision was taken at a meeting of 17 BCB directors on Sunday afternoon, a senior board official confirmed.

In its email to the ICC, the BCB said that security risks make it impossible to send the Bangladesh team to India for the World Cup.

The upcoming T20 World Cup is set to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The BCB has pointed to a previous ICC precedent, when all of Pakistan’s matches were moved to Sri Lanka due to political and security concerns, as the basis for its venue-change request.