Bangladesh cricket faces crores in loss, revenue to plunge 50% after T20 World Cup India boycott: Report

Bangladesh cricket is set to lose crores in Indian rupees, revenue is set to fall by over 50 per cent after the hardline interim government decided to stay firm on its anti-India decision regarding the T20 World Cup 2026. After the International Cricket Council (ICC) refused Bangladesh’s request to shift T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh was given one last chance to agree to playing in India.

But the Bangladesh government and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chose to stick to their decision, citing a security threat to the players, journalists and fans. The Bangladesh cricketers tried influencing the board and the government during a meeting, but the undemocratic gathering ended with a diktat - there will be no T20 World Cup for Bangladesh.

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Bangladesh cricket set to lose over Rs 200 crore

Bangladesh tomfoolery could cost them a lot of money, though. According to the news agency PTI, BCB is set to lose around BDT 325 crore (around USD 27 million or Rs 247.4 crore), which comes from ICC’s annual revenue. The added blow is the loss of revenue from broadcast and sponsorship.

Overall, BCB’s revenue for the 2025-26 financial year could fall around 60 per cent or more.

The report added that Nazrul and BCB have assured the players that they would be paid match fees despite missing the T20 World Cup, but their dreams of representing the country at the highest stage have been crushed.

A BCB official has told PTI that the board has been rendered helpless by the government’s hardline stance.

“Today, when they met Asif Nazrul, the government advisor did most of the talking with occasional comments from Bulbul bhai. The players mostly kept quiet. The senior players feel that if someone of Tamim Iqbal’s stature could be disrespected, they could face even bigger backlash,” the source said.

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The long-term impact of the financial loss can be disastrous, as it could bring multiple domestic and grassroots cricket activities to a screeching halt, hurting the future of the sport in the country.