The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is set to formally approach the ICC seeking the relocation of its T20 World Cup 2026 matches from India to Sri Lanka, following the removal of Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) IPL 2026 squad. Signed for a whopping Rs 9.20 crore, the highest for a Bangladeshi player in IPL history, Mustafizur’s release has once again put India-Bangladesh cricketing ties in jeopardy.
The geopolitical connections haven’t been worse, with Bangladesh’s current anti-India stance. The cruelty against some Bangladeshi Hindus has instilled detest among a section of Indians, which led to them protesting against the inclusion of Mustafizur in the IPL. This has spiralled into global cricket, with actions about to be taken for Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. The mega event will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, starting from February 7.
Bangladesh seek ICC for T20 WC change
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of BCB directors in Sylhet on Saturday. According to Cricbuzz, the board will write to the ICC seeking urgent clarification on security arrangements for Bangladesh players, team officials, media personnel, sponsors and travelling supporters during the tournament. The BCB will also seek a formal explanation from the BCCI regarding the circumstances under which Mustafizur was asked to leave the KKR squad despite getting picked up at the IPL 2026 auction.
“We are sending letter to ICC putting three clauses into it. Firstly, we would like to know from them about Mustafizur (exclusion from IPL) and secondly what is the security plan for us in the World Cup. More so because not only players will travel to India but along with them, media, fans and sponsors would also travel there to see the World Cup. Those who will go there, what will be their security status,” a top BCB official told Cricbuzz.
‘Days of slavery are over’: Bangladesh
Dr Asif Nazrul, Bangladesh’s interim government’s Youth and Sports Adviser, responded angrily to the move. He has stated that the team cannot feel safe in India if a player is removed from the IPL due to what the BCCI described as “recent developments”. He has instructed the BCB to request the ICC to move Bangladesh’s World Cup matches to Sri Lanka and has also urged the country’s broadcasting ministry to stop airing the IPL.
“As the adviser in charge of the Sports Ministry, I asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board to explain the entire matter to ICC in written. The board should inform that where a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going to play in the World Cup,” Dr Asif wrote on his official Facebook page. “I have also instructed the board to request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches should be held in Sri Lanka.”
He further said, “I have requested the Information and Broadcasting Adviser to stop broadcast of IPL in Bangladesh. We will not accept any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers and Bangladesh under any circumstances. The days of slavery are over.”
While there are replacement options available for KKR, they certainly had Mustafizur in their plans, as they splashed over nine crore rupees on him. Without Fizz, KKR now have just one overseas pacer in Matheesha Pathirana, who is also an injury-prone commodity.
Bangladesh’s T20 WC 2026 schedule
| Date | Match No. | Teams | Venue | IST Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Feb 7, 2026 | 2nd Match | West Indies vs Bangladesh | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| Mon, Feb 9, 2026 | 7th Match | Bangladesh vs Italy | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 11:00 AM |
| Sat, Feb 14, 2026 | 23rd Match | England vs Bangladesh | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| Tue, Feb 17, 2026 | 33rd Match | Bangladesh vs Nepal | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
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