The International Cricket Council Chairman Jay Shah will consider implementing disciplinary measures against Bangladesh if they refuse to travel to India for the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, as ICC sources reported on Friday. The sources said the ICC Chairman is in Dubai for the final decision on the matter. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had previously requested that the ICC move their ICC T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka because of “security and safety concerns” for their players.
India and Bangladesh have experienced deteriorating relations because of increasing criminal activities that target minority groups in Bangladesh. Last year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had requested Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release their fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League 2026 roster because of increasing demands from India after the persecution of minority groups in Bangladesh.
BCB began presenting safety issues as its justification for not sending the Bangladesh team to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup after Mustafizur’s departure from the IPL.
The ICC on Wednesday denied the BCB’s request to relocate their matches from India during the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
Independent risk assessments, which internationally recognized security experts performed, reached the conclusion that Bangladesh can proceed with its planned T20 World Cup matches in India, according to ICC sources on Monday. They reported that the security assessment for the tournament in India showed a low to moderate risk level, which matches the security risk patterns of major international sporting events.
The evaluations from the sources failed to demonstrate any actual danger which would jeopardize the safety of the Bangladesh players their coaching staff members or the competition sites located throughout India.
The professionals assessed Bangladesh’s upcoming matches in Kolkata and Mumbai according to their expert advice which resulted in a risk evaluation that ranged from low to moderate because security measures proved sufficient to handle all potential threats.
Aminul Islam the BCB President announced on Thursday that the BCB will maintain its position against playing ICC Men’s World Cup matches in India because the ICC has denied its request to play in the tournament.
The ICC will maintain ongoing communication with us according to our established plans. The World Cup remains our target yet we refuse to compete in India. Our battle will continue. The ICC Board Meeting made some unbelievable decisions which shocked us. The Mustafizur situation stands as a separate problem which connects to various other matters. The Indian authorities controlled all aspects of that particular situation” he said.
The ICC refused to permit us to change our match schedule from India to another location. The current state of world cricket remains unknown to us. The sport is experiencing a decline in popularity. They have restricted access to 200 million citizens. The ICC has failed to promote cricket when our country will not participate in the Olympics despite cricket’s inclusion. he said.
The ICC failed to show adequate security evidence for their Indian security claims according to Bangladesh Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul in his Thursday statement.
The ICC fails to establish their security claims according to our evaluation. The ICC has not taken any official position regarding our complaints. Asif Nazrul said that the Indian government did not reach out to us or attempt to calm our concerns.
The current schedule shows that Bangladesh will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 tournament on February 7 against two-time champions West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The Litton Das-led team will compete against Italy on February 9 at the same location before their next match against England in Kolkata. After their match against England, Bangladesh will proceed to Mumbai for their game against Nepal at Wankhede Stadium.
