A final decision on whether Bangladesh will play in India is still pending, with just a little over two weeks remaining before the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 begins.
Recently, a report by ESPNCricinfo claimed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had given the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) a deadline of January 21, 2026 to make up their minds on the matter, either agreeing to play in India or risk being replaced by Scotland in the coveted tournament.
However, BCB’s media committee chairman, Amjad Hossain, has, according to a new report by The Daily Star, has denied having received any such ultimatums from the apex body.
BCB Says No T20 World Cup Deadline Given By ICC
As per the said report, Hossain said this about Bangladesh receiving a deadline for making their call on travelling to India for the T20 World Cup 2026:
“Last Saturday on January 17, an ICC representative came and our cricket board representatives held a meeting with him. There, in regards to World Cup participation, there was issue with the venue and we informed them about our reluctance to play in that venue.”
“We requested for alternate venue and we held detailed discussions with the representatives. They told us that they will inform the ICC about the issues and will let us know about the decision later on. In regards to these talks, they haven’t mentioned a specific date or when they will let us know.” he added.
Why Bangladesh Refuses To Play In India
Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was removed from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)’s squad for IPL 2026 amid strained political and sporting ties between the two countries.
This prompted the BCB to refuse travelling to India for the T20 World Cup, and demand that their fixtures be shifted to Sri Lanka instead.
Given the proximity of this demand to the tournament’s commencement, agreeing to it might well be a logistical nightmare for the ICC and host nations, which is why several meeting are said to have taken place between BCB and ICC to resolve the dispute, but no clear decision has been made officially so far.