ICC to send delegation to Bangladesh over T20 World Cup 2026 venue dispute: Report

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to send a delegation to Bangladesh to discuss their participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka in February-March. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has requested the ICC to move its team’s T20 World Cup matches out of India due to safety concerns. Bangladesh are slated to play all their matches in India, starting in Kolkata.

Bangladesh’s sports adviser Asif Nazrul confirmed the development while speaking to reporters at the Foreign Service Academy yesterday. According to a local media outlet, Nazrul said that the BCB president has informed him about the ICC delegation visiting Bangladesh to talk about their stance on not playing in India. He further stated that Bangladesh will not change their decision, adding that organising their games in Sri Lanka is not an impossible task.

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“According to the latest updates, Mr. Aminul Islam [BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul] informed me that an ICC team is likely to come to Bangladesh for discussions. There is no chance of us changing our stance. We are eager to play in the World Cup, particularly in Sri Lanka, and I strongly believe that organising this is not impossible,” the sports adviser was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

Meanwhile, a BCB official has admitted that the date and time of the visit have not been confirmed yet, but the communication with the ICC is underway. “We are in discussions, and a delegation is set to arrive, but the exact date has not been determined. We are in communication, but the time is not fixed,” a BCB official was quoted as saying.

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Why does Bangladesh not want to play in India?

The whole controversy started after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad. Although the BCCI didn’t give any reason for the move, it is widely believed that political pressure following the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh could have influenced the decision.

This angered the BCB and the Bangladesh government, which banned the broadcast of IPL 2026 in the country. The BCB then requested the ICC to shift their T20 World Cup matches out of India. The ICC has reportedly refused to agree to Bangladesh’s demand to play in Sri Lanka, but the discussions are still underway.

Meanwhile, the BCCI has also responded to the ongoing saga, with the board’s secretary Devajit Saikia saying they are not involved in the negotiations between the ICC and BCB. “As of now, BCCI is not in the loop regarding any communication between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the ICC, so we are totally unaware. Once we receive information, we will keep you updated,” Saikia told ANI.