The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s standoff with Indian cricket is in the headlines after former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh weighed in on the controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India. While Harbhajan made it clear that India remains open to hosting every team, he also stressed that the final decision lies with Bangladesh and the ICC.
“Due to the various events that have taken place in the past few days, Bangladesh does not want to come to India. Whatever happened in Bangladesh is wrong,” he said while speaking to ANI on Monday. “ICC needs to make a decision on their request. We welcome everyone to India, but whether they want to come here or not is their choice.”
Bangladesh don’t want to play in India
His comments came hours after the BCB formally wrote to the ICC requesting the relocation of all their T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures out of India, citing serious safety and security concerns. The tournament is scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7, but Bangladesh now wants its matches shifted entirely to Sri Lanka.
The BCB’s decision followed an emergency board meeting on Saturday, convened after Bangladesh’s interim government’s Youth and Sports Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul advised the board not to send the team to India under the current circumstances. Bangladesh have even banned the broadcasting of the IPL in their country in a move to brace their anti-India stance.
Mustafizur saga triggers diplomatic and cricketing fallout
The immediate trigger for the standoff was the BCCI instructing KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman, who had been bought for Rs 9.20 crore, the highest-ever price for a Bangladeshi player at the IPL auction. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the move was taken due to “recent developments” and confirmed that KKR would be allowed a replacement.
The fallout has since snowballed. The Bangladesh government announced on Monday that IPL 2026 broadcasts would be suspended in the country “until further notice.” Meanwhile, India’s scheduled September tour of Bangladesh has also been put on hold.
While the BCCI has reportedly rejected Bangladesh’s venue-shift request as a logistical nightmare, the ICC now finds itself at the centre of a sensitive geopolitical and sporting dilemma. With the World Cup barely weeks away, Bangladesh’s fixtures look increasingly likely to be played outside India. That means, Bangladesh and Pakistan will be the two teams that won’t play their matches in India.
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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