Navneet Bansal from Patiala
In a major shake-up for the 2026 T20 World Cup, Bangladesh has officially boycotted the tournament after the ICC rejected their request to move matches out of India.
The Headlines
The Decision: On January 22, 2026, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Bangladesh government confirmed the national team will not travel to India for their group-stage matches.
The Reason: The BCB cited “security concerns” and requested a venue shift to Sri Lanka. Tensions also escalated following a dispute over Mustafizur Rahman’s release from his IPL contract.
The Replacement: The ICC has named Scotland to take Bangladesh’s spot in Group C.
ICC Stance: The ICC stated that independent security reviews found “no credible threat” and refused to alter the schedule so close to the February 7 start date.
Impact on Group C
Bangladesh’s withdrawal reshuffles the competition. The updated Group C now includes:
- England
- West Indies
- Scotland (Replacing Bangladesh)
- Italy
- Nepal
