Bangladesh’s standoff with the ICC over the venues for the T20 World Cup 2026 shows no signs of cooling down, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirming that it is still awaiting a formal response from the global body. With the tournament less than a month away, Bangladesh don’t know where they are going to play their T20 World Cup 2026 matches. They want to play outside India, but as per the original schedule, they have to travel India for their four group games.
BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul on Friday revealed that the board has not yet heard back from the ICC despite submitting what it describes as detailed documentation outlining its concerns. “We haven’t yet received any reply from the ICC. We have sent all the attachments and proofs outlining our concerns,” Bulbul told reporters, as quoted by PTI. It is quite frustrating for Bangladesh and the ICC as well. The clock is running, and the decision should be made sooner rather than later.
“Any alternate Indian venue at the end of the day is an Indian venue. You all know that no unilateral decision can be taken and we have to abide by the government’s diktat. We are standing where we had been a few days back.”
The deadlock began after Mustafizur Rahman was released from the IPL on instructions from the BCCI, citing unspecified “recent developments”, a move that unsettled the Bangladesh camp and triggered a chain of correspondence with the ICC. The BCB has since refused to send its team to India under the current circumstances, citing security concerns for players, officials and media personnel, and has formally requested that its four group matches in India – three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai – be shifted to Sri Lanka.
BCB doubles down as ICC maintains silence
Earlier this week, the BCB sent a second letter to the ICC, this time laying out its security concerns in greater detail after discussions with sports ministry advisor Asif Nazrul. The ICC had specifically asked Dhaka to clarify what the perceived risks were, and the board had now provided that information. Despite this, the ICC has remained publicly silent while continuing to seek further clarification behind the scenes.
They are due to open their campaign on February 7 against the West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in Group C, which also features England, Italy and Nepal.
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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