Change of venue being explored for Bangladesh T20 World Cup matches: Report

Bangladesh’s demands of wanting to play the upcoming T20 World Cup outside India might not get fulfilled but they can get a change in their current venues for the tournament. A Cricbuzz report late on Sunday revealed that Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram are being explored as the two new venues which could host the group matches of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has written multiple times to the International Cricket Council (ICC) requesting them to shift their matches for the World Cup out of India to Sri Lanka. BCB has said that their players might face security concerns in India.

ICC has not officially announced their decision on the matter but reports have said that the global cricket governing body is unwilling to accommodate Bangladesh's demands, especially with only less than a month left for the tournament to start.

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Bangladesh unlikely to play in Sri Lanka

Bangladesh wanted to play the entire tournament in Sri Lanka which is a co-host of the tournament alongside India. Pakistan will be playing the entire tournament outside India with the possibility of final and semifinal also shifting to Sri Lanka if the Pakistani side reach there. Bangladesh too wanted a similar approach but ICC is not in the mood to allow them.

An official response to Bangladesh’s demands could be made on Monday, January 12, as per the Cricbuzz report.

The report states that the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) have both been informed that they are being considered as options for Bangladesh’s matches by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). TNCA has reportedly informed that they will have no problem hosting Bangladesh as they have eight pitches.

Chennai’s Chepauk Stadium is hosting seven matches at the upcoming World Cup while Thiruvananthapuram will be the sixth Indian venue at the tournament if Bangladesh play there.

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Bangladesh are placed in Group C alongside England, West Indies, Nepal and debutants Italy. They are scheduled to play their first three matches in Kolkata while their last group game is in Mumbai. In the 2024 World Cup, Bangladesh made it to the Super 8s but could not win a match in that round.