T20 World Cup cricket: Why Bangladesh won't travel to India
January 6, 2026
Concerns about the "safety and well-being" of players and officials have seen the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refuse to play their men's T20 World Cup matches in neighboring India.
"Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and considering the advice from the Bangladesh Government, the Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions," read a statement from the organization.
"In light of this decision, the BCB has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC), as the event authority, to consider relocating all of Bangladesh's matches to a venue outside India."
India , who are cricket's dominant off-field force, are co-hosting the 20-team tournament, which runs from February 7 to March 8, with Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh were slated to play three matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai during the group stage but the ICC are now faced with a logistical and political challenge. Ranked ninth in the world, Bangladesh have a decent chance of progressing to the quarterfinals by finishing in the top two of Group C.
What triggered Bangladesh's decision?
While the statement doesn't mention it specifically, referring instead to "recent developments," the withdrawal of Bangladeshi Mustafizur Rahman from the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) season, which starts a few weeks after the World Cup, appears to be the trigger. The bowler was the only Bangladesh player picked up at the IPL auction last month. He had won a $1 million (€860,000) contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders.
"Due to recent developments going on all across, the BCCI [Board of Control of Cricket in India] has instructed the franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh, from their squad," said BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
On Monday, Bangladesh's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said it would not broadcast this season's IPL as a result.
"No reasonable or justified explanation for such a decision by the Indian cricket board is known, and this decision has caused pain, distress and anger among the people of Bangladesh," a statement read.
Is there a wider context to Bangladesh refusing to play cricket in India?
The banning of Mustafizur Rahman, who has played for numerous IPL franchises in past seasons, appears to be the straw that broke the camel's back, amid heightening political tensions between the countries.
Anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh has been growing since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to the country in 2024. India has so far refused all requests to extradite her. There have also been violent protests over the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent student leader, in Bangladesh.
Also, in December, a Hindu man was accused of blasphemy and beaten to death by a mob in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. This attack led, in turn, to protests by Hindu nationalist groups in India.
Kirti Azad, an Indian former cricketer and MP, slammed BCCI's release of Rahman from KKR as illogical and politically driven.
"If India-Bangladesh ties are strained, why shortlist Bangladeshi players initially? Once listed, IPL teams must pick from it," Azad told DW, questioning the auction’s logic.
However, Kaustav Bagchi from India's ruling BJP party strongly backed the decision.
"Bangladeshi cricketers like Mustafizur Rahman will earn crores of money and other Bangladeshis will supply firearms and our Hindu brothers will be killed with these weapons — it cannot be run simultaneously," he said.
Hasn't there been a similar situation with Pakistan?
Yes, there are many echoes here of a situation involving another of India's neighbors and cricketing rivals. Pakistan's players have been banned from playing in the IPL since 2009, after the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai committed by Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The teams have not played each other in a traditional bilateral series since then, only meeting at World Cups and other global or continental events on neutral territory — a situation that has caused several headaches for the ICC.
South Asia expert Shanthie Mariet D'Souza told DW that India risks cornering itself by pursuing an ill-advised policy.
"For years, it has applied similar strategies towards Pakistan, sometimes for legitimate reasons. However, by attempting to punish Bangladesh, India could jeopardize the goodwill it has cultivated in the region and beyond," D'Souza said.
"A great power should act with generosity and magnanimity towards its neighbors. Such a policy does not align with the global status India aspires to achieve," she added.
Pakistan is already scheduled to play all its group games and beyond,if it advances in the tournament, in Sri Lanka due political tensions with India that brought both countries to the brink of war last year.
Is there a way Bangladesh can still play the T20 World Cup?
A solution such as that found for Pakistan seems the most likely way to enable Bangladesh to compete. But with the draw already made and fixtures assigned to cities and stadiums, reorganization is complex and may even require changing which group teams are in at a very late stage.
If no solution is found, the ICC may be forced to forfeit matches involving Bangladesh or find another team to fill their spot. The sport's global governing body have yet to comment on the situation but will be forced to take action soon.
Edited by: Chuck Penfold. Additional reporting by Murali Krishnan (Delhi)