Bangladesh reaffirms refusal to play T20 World Cup matches in India

Bangladesh has formally conveyed that it will not travel to India to play its ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches, maintaining a firm stance despite the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejecting its request to shift fixtures to Sri Lanka .

The position, reiterated by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and backed by the Bangladesh government, comes in response to the ICC’s decision that there is no credible or verifiable security threat to players, officials or fans at the Indian venues. The ICC has made it clear that the tournament schedule will not be altered at this stage.

Bangladesh’s Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul said the country remains eager to participate in the World Cup but only under the condition that all its matches are held in Sri Lanka. He stressed that the government has advised the team against travelling to India, citing security concerns and national considerations.

“The security situation, from our assessment, has not changed. Bangladesh wants to play, but only in Sri Lanka,” Nazrul said, reiterating that the team will not travel to India under any circumstances.

Earlier, the ICC Board, in a meeting held via video conference, voted overwhelmingly against Bangladesh’s relocation request, with 14 of the 16 member boards opposing the move. Only Bangladesh and Pakistan voted in favour. The ICC warned that changing venues without independent security findings would set an undesirable precedent and disrupt the integrity of global events.

The ICC subsequently issued a 24-hour deadline to the BCB to confirm its participation under the existing schedule. In response, the BCB said there was no change in its position and confirmed that the team would not travel to India.

While Bangladesh has not yet been formally removed from the tournament, its continued refusal to comply with the schedule has placed its participation in serious doubt. ICC sources indicated that if Bangladesh does not reverse its decision, the governing body is likely to replace the team, with Scotland emerging as the frontrunner based on current rankings.

The standoff follows a period of strained bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh and was further aggravated by recent developments involving Bangladeshi players in Indian domestic cricket. The ICC said it remains open to dialogue but reiterated that venue decisions are governed by objective security assessments and host guarantees applicable to all participating teams.