The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided not to travel to India for the T20 World Cup. The decision was taken at a meeting held today afternoon with all 17 board directors present.
Following the exclusion of Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL due to extremist threats, BCB directors held an online meeting last night. At that time, most directors had advised against taking any harsh steps. However, after understanding the government’s stance, they reconsidered and changed their decision.
When asked, Nazmul Abedin, head of the cricket operations department, told Prothom Alo: “We will issue an official press release shortly to clarify our position.”
After Mustafizur was dropped from the IPL, concerns over the safety of Bangladeshi cricketers in India during the World Cup became prominent. A BCB source confirmed that this was the main reason for requesting a change of venue and sending a letter to the ICC.
The 2026 ICC T20 World Cup is co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. According to the schedule, Bangladesh is set to face West Indies in Kolkata on February 7, the first day of the tournament. The other three group matches will also be held in Kolkata and Mumbai.
Earlier today, the BCB announced a 15-member squad for the World Cup, naming Liton Das as captain.
