In a decisive move, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that Bangladesh’s matches in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will go ahead in India as originally scheduled, rejecting the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to shift games to Sri Lanka.
The announcement followed an ICC Board meeting held via video conference on Wednesday, 21 January. The ICC cited multiple independent security assessments which concluded there was no credible threat to Bangladesh players, officials, media, or fans at any Indian venue.
An ICC spokesperson said: “Over the past several weeks, the ICC has engaged with the BCB in sustained and constructive dialogue, sharing independent security assessments, detailed venue-level plans, and assurances from Indian authorities. All consistently concluded there is no verifiable threat to the Bangladesh team.”
The ICC added that moving the fixtures at this stage would not only disrupt the tournament schedule but could also set a precarious precedent, undermining the fairness and neutrality of ICC governance.
Despite these reassurances, the BCB had tied its participation to concerns related to a single player’s involvement in a domestic league — an issue the ICC said is unrelated to tournament security.
The ICC emphasized that venue and scheduling decisions are guided by objective threat assessments, host guarantees, and the tournament’s agreed terms of participation, which apply to all 20 competing nations.
With less than a year to go for the T20 World Cup, this decision now brings clarity to fans and teams alike, keeping the focus firmly on the cricketing action set to unfold across India.
