Following the release of a star pacer named Mustafizur Rahman, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move the Group Stage of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup from India to Sri Lanka, based upon concerns regarding player safety and ongoing tensions between the two countries. The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will take place from February 7 through March 8. The BCB’s formal request followed the unexpected release of a key member of the Bangladesh National Team, Mustafizur Rahman, by the IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders.
How will the strained relationship between the countries affect players?
The BCB indicated that the release was indicative of the strained relationship between the countries and questioned whether sufficient security measures would be taken to protect its players throughout the World Cup.
The request to relocate the matches comes at a time when relations between Bangladesh and India are strained, primarily as a result of recent allegations of religious violence in Bangladesh. There have also been protests outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi by Hindu nationalist groups. India’s Ministry of External Affairs condemned “hostility towards minorities,” while the Government of Bangladesh demanded that investigations into the incidents be carried out fairly.
Bangladesh is currently scheduled to play four group stage matches in the World Cup
Three of Bangladesh’s matches will be played in Kolkata and one in Mumbai. If the BCB’s request is granted and the matches are moved to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh would likely join Pakistan in having all of its group stage matches played in Sri Lanka due to the same security concerns. However, moving the matches would present logistical challenges for both the ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). These would include determining available venues, managing ticket sales, and coordinating travel plans for teams, officials, and fans.
The ICC has acknowledged the concerns raised by Bangladesh and is currently evaluating the request
To date, no official decision has been made on this matter by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) responded with “it’s a logistical nightmare” to the request, citing the extremely short timeline for the event and that contracts have been entered into for the tournament.
There are now just less than a month before the scheduled start of the World Cup; therefore, if any changes are to be made to the current schedule, there would need to be a substantial amount of time and resources devoted to coordinating those changes.
This situation illustrates the extent to which politics can encroach upon sport and cricket specifically, as evidenced by the Bangladeshi concerns regarding security, which go beyond the safety of their players and encompass the national pride and sovereignty of their nation.
Will the BCP participate in the tournament?
The BCB maintains that they want to participate in the tournament, but it will not allow itself to be pressured into compromising the safety of its players.
The ICC has a difficult balancing act ahead of it — honoring the commitments made to the host nations while providing reasonable assurances regarding the safety of players from participating nations. A decision is expected to be made in the coming days as the start date for the tournament approaches.
Bangladesh’s request to move the group stages of the T20 World Cup to Sri Lanka represents a growing intersection of sports and geopolitics. It is unclear if the ICC and BCCI will decide to put player safety and diplomatic sensitivities ahead of the logistical and contractual issues surrounding the event. The world awaits to see if diplomacy will prevail, or if international sports competitions will continue to suffer as collateral damage in larger-scale political conflicts.
