ICC has rejected Bangladesh’s request to move its T20 World Cup 2026 matches from India to Sri Lanka, saying there is no credible security threat at the scheduled venues.
Bangladesh Asked to Shift Games from India to Sri Lanka
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has turned down a formal request from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to move Bangladesh’s fixtures in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 from India to Sri Lanka. The BCB had raised security concerns and wanted its matches to be staged at neutral venues instead of India, where the majority of the tournament is scheduled to take place. The matter was serious enough for the ICC Board to convene a special virtual meeting on 21 January, called specifically to consider Bangladesh’s plea.
In recent weeks, reports from Bangladesh suggested that officials were uncomfortable with the idea of playing group matches in India and preferred alternative arrangements. The BCB’s request was framed around what it described as safety and security considerations for players, officials, media and fans travelling from Bangladesh.
ICC Finds No Credible Security Threat at Indian Venues
After reviewing the situation, the ICC Board rejected the request and confirmed that the tournament schedule would remain unchanged. In an official statement, the governing body said that Bangladesh’s matches will go ahead as originally planned in India. The ICC explained that, based on the information available from security agencies and local authorities, it did not see any credible security threat to Bangladesh’s players, media personnel or supporters at any of the designated venues.
The ICC also highlighted the practical challenges of making late changes. With less than a month to go before the start of the T20 World Cup, moving fixtures to another country would mean reworking logistics, ticketing, broadcast plans and security operations for multiple stakeholders. The board concluded that such a shift was neither necessary nor feasible at this stage, given the detailed security arrangements already in place in India.
Details of Bangladesh’s Group C Schedule in India
Bangladesh have been placed in Group C for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Under the existing schedule, they will play their first three group matches in Kolkata. The Tigers are set to open their campaign against the West Indies on 7 February, followed by a match against Italy on 9 February and a high-profile clash with England on 14 February.
Their final group game is scheduled for 17 February in Mumbai, where Bangladesh will take on Nepal. Both Kolkata and Mumbai are established international cricket hubs with a long history of hosting major ICC events, which is one reason the ICC is confident in the robustness of the security and operational plans at these venues.
Ongoing Dialogue Between ICC and Bangladesh Cricket Board
In its statement, the ICC noted that it had held multiple meetings and exchanged several rounds of correspondence with the Bangladesh Cricket Board before arriving at its decision. During these discussions, the ICC shared extensive details of the security framework for the tournament, including layered federal and state law-enforcement support at all match locations in India.
The ICC stressed that it remains committed to working with all participating boards, including the BCB, to address any legitimate concerns. However, it also underlined that decisions about venues and schedules must be based on objective risk assessments and practical considerations, rather than speculation or public pressure.
What the Decision Means for Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup Campaign
Following the ICC’s ruling, Bangladesh will now have to prepare to play their World Cup matches in the originally assigned Indian cities. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has not yet issued a detailed public response, even though earlier reports had suggested that an official position would be announced on 21 January. For players and coaching staff, the clarity from the ICC at least removes uncertainty about where the team will be based during the group stage.
From a cricketing point of view, Bangladesh will look to put the off-field discussions behind them and focus on conditions in Kolkata and Mumbai, including pitch behaviour, ground dimensions and crowd atmosphere. For fans, the decision means that those who had already planned to travel to India for the matches can likely continue with their arrangements. As the tournament approaches, all eyes will now be on how Bangladesh adapts to the challenge and whether the early controversy has any impact on their performance in Group C.
