The decision was taken in response to the growing issue over Mustafizur Rahman‘s expulsion from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad prior to the 2026 Indian Premier League, which caused a great deal of indignation in Bangladesh and created grave concerns about player safety. After an emergency directors’ meeting, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has determined that Bangladesh would not travel to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
When the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ordered KKR to remove Rahman from their IPL roster on Saturday, the issue became more heated. The bowler was purchased by KKR for INR 9.20 crore during the IPL 2026 mini-auction, but it is said that pressure from Indian political and religious groups led to his sudden dismissal. Sports adviser Asif Nazrul urged the BCB to reevaluate sending the national squad to India for the international competition in response to the development, which sparked heated emotions in Bangladesh.
Citing security concerns, the Bangladesh Sports Ministry recommended that the BCB formally approach the ICC to shift Bangladesh’s World Cup matches away from Indian land in response to mounting political and public pressure.
Bangladesh will not play any of its T20 World Cup matches in India, the board unanimously decided during a meeting on Sunday that was attended by 17 BCB directors. The board has already written to the ICC, according to a senior BCB official.
“Bangladesh will not go to India to play in the World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board made this decision today. I welcome this decision, taken in response to the Indian cricket board’s extreme communal policies,” they stated.
ICC will take BCB’s request into consideration.
Despite early talks about bringing up a number of concerns with the ICC, the BCB finally made a request to move Bangladesh’s games to Sri Lanka. The board feels that the incident involving the left-arm pacer has made it impossible to ensure the safety of Bangladeshi players.
In the meantime, Mustafizur Rahman’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in the IPL was immediately cancelled by the BCB.
This implies that the pacer will not be permitted to play in the league for security reasons, even if KKR were to change its mind. According to reports, the ICC is taking the request into consideration and may decide to expel Bangladesh from India. Sri Lanka, the co-hosts of the major event, may host all of the team’s matches.
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