Bangladesh have approached the International Cricket Council with fresh requests ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, seeking changes that would allow them to play their group-stage matches in Sri Lanka rather than across multiple venues in India.
According to reports, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) raised the issue during a meeting with ICC officials in Dhaka on Saturday, January 17. The board is understood to have proposed a group swap with Ireland, a move that would place Bangladesh in a group scheduled largely in Sri Lanka and reduce travel during the tournament.
Under the current schedule, Ireland are set to face Sri Lanka, Australia and Oman in Colombo, with their final group match against Zimbabwe in Kandy. Bangladesh, meanwhile, are listed in Group B and are scheduled to play West Indies, Italy and England in Kolkata, before travelling to Mumbai for a fixture against Nepal.
In a statement issued later the same day, the BCB confirmed it had formally requested the ICC to consider shifting Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka. The board said it had also conveyed concerns raised by the Bangladesh government regarding safety and security for the team, supporters, media and other stakeholders.
The BCB added that discussions with the ICC were held in a professional manner and that various options were explored, including potential changes that would cause minimal disruption to the tournament schedule.
However, Cricket Ireland has strongly pushed back against the reports of a possible group swap. An official from Cricket Ireland said the board has received assurances that its team’s schedule will remain unchanged and that Ireland expects to play its group-stage matches in Sri Lanka as originally planned.
The ICC has not yet issued a public response to Bangladesh’s request.
