The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday ejected Bangladesh from the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after the team refused to travel to India, citing security concerns. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had been given 24 hours on Wednesday to take a final call on its participation; however, it refused to budge from its stance, with BCB president Aminul Islam and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul confirming that travelling to India was not an option. Bangladesh made one final attempt on Friday to resolve the impasse, but to no avail, and were eventually replaced by Scotland. This is the first time that a cricket team has been kicked out of a global event.
“The ICC has sent a letter to the BCB confirming that they have been shown the door following their refusal to travel to India. Scotland has also been informed about being picked as the replacement. The formalities have been done,” sources within the ICC confirmed to The Hindustan Times.
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After Bangladesh speedster Mustafizur Rahman’s ouster from the IPL, the BCB made it a mission to avoid playing any T20 World Cup matches in India. The Bangladesh cricket board sent repeated emails to the ICC, which initially sought to accommodate their concerns and even commissioned an independent review of the security threat. However, after the threat level was assessed as low to moderate, the BCB was informed that the schedule would not be changed and that they would be required to travel to India.
“Scotland has been called up to take Bangladesh’s place in Group C, joining England, Italy, Nepal and the West Indies,” the ICC later said in its official statement.
{{/usCountry}}“Scotland has been called up to take Bangladesh’s place in Group C, joining England, Italy, Nepal and the West Indies,” the ICC later said in its official statement.
{{/usCountry}}“The announcement comes after the ICC, in the absence of any credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team in India, rejected BCB’s request to move their matches from India to Sri Lanka, who are co-hosts of the tournament which commences on February 7. Independent security assessments were conducted from internal and external experts.”
An ICC delegation also visited Dhaka to help BCB officials understand its position. However, with no conclusion reached, the ICC categorically informed Bangladesh that it would have to decide by January 21 or risk being replaced by the next-best-ranked team in Group C. Another ICC meeting was held on Wednesday, where it was confirmed that the original schedule would not be altered and that Bangladesh would have to travel to India to participate in the World Cup. The BCB was given a further 24 hours to decide its future course of action.
On Wednesday night, BCB president Aminul Islam addressed the media, expressing hope that the ICC would reconsider its stance and reschedule the matches in Sri Lanka. However, that was not to be the case. The BCB first met the interim Bangladesh government later that night, after which it was decided that Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul would meet the Bangladesh players on Thursday afternoon at the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka.
Bangladesh were slated to play in Kolkata and Mumbai
As per the original schedule, Bangladesh were placed in Group C alongside England, Nepal, Italy and the West Indies. The Bangla Tigers were set to begin their campaign on the opening day of the tournament, February 7, against two-time champions West Indies. Bangladesh were scheduled to play three matches at Eden Gardens in Kolkata — against England, West Indies and Italy — while their final group-stage fixture against Nepal was to be held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The standoff between the BCB and the ICC can be traced back to the three-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders' decision to release Mustafizur from its squad, despite having picked him for INR 9.20 crore at the auction. The decision was taken at the BCCI’s behest following recent developments in Bangladesh, where multiple Hindus were killed.
In response, the BCB stepped in and escalated the matter, sending multiple emails to the ICC requesting that Bangladesh’s matches be shifted to Sri Lanka. The ICC made repeated attempts to convey its position, but the BCB refused to budge, eventually forcing the apex body to take a definitive call.