In a major development ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially announced that the national cricket team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current circumstances. The decision was made after an emergency board meeting involving 17 directors on January 4, 2026, with the BCB expressing serious concerns over the safety and security of players and officials if matches were played on Indian soil.

Citing recent controversy surrounding the release of star pacer Mustafizur Rahman from his Indian Premier League (IPL) contract and advice from the Bangladeshi government, the board said it has written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) requesting that all of Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be relocated to a neutral venue, such as Sri Lanka.

The T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is scheduled to begin on 7 February 2026, and Bangladesh are due to play group games in Kolkata and Mumbai.