Bangladesh will not travel to India to play in next month’s T20 World Cup, the country’s cricket board confirmed on Thursday.
The announcement came a day after the International Cricket Council rejected Bangladesh’s request to shift its matches to Sri Lanka, which is also hosting part of the tournament.
“Our only demand is to play the World Cup but not in India,” Aminul Islam Bulbul, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, told reporters. His remarks effectively ruled out Bangladesh’s participation under the current arrangements.
The decision followed a meeting between BCB officials, national team players, and Asif Nazrul, Adviser to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Youth and Sports.
🔴 Won't play T20 World Cup in India: Bangladesh hardens stance as ICC deadline ends
We must all consider how harmful it can be to push our own cricketers, fans and media into a genuine security risk (in India) by bowing our head and discarding the regional political situation:… pic.twitter.com/pIw2kUZgba
— Indrajit Kundu | ইন্দ্রজিৎ (@iindrojit) January 22, 2026After the meeting, Nazrul said Bangladesh’s position remained unchanged despite the ICC’s refusal to relocate the fixtures during a board meeting on Wednesday. He stressed that security concerns continue to influence the decision.
Read: Pakistan May Boycott T20 World Cup 2026 Over Bangladesh’s India Travel Dispute
“There is no scope to change our stance. We believe we did not receive justice from the ICC,” Nazrul told the media. “We still hope the ICC will reconsider and act fairly.”
Atul Wassan slams Bangladesh's T20 World Cup boycott: 'They didn't see through the endgame'#T20WorldCup #Bangladesh #BCB | @anjileeistwal @cricketguru pic.twitter.com/tdnmCSz8vl
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) January 22, 2026He added that the security situation in India has not improved and said the concerns stem from a past incident involving a Bangladeshi cricketer.
“Our concerns did not arise without reason,” Nazrul said. “India could not provide security to one of our players. The cricket board there functions as an extension of the government, which failed or chose not to protect our cricketer when extremist groups applied pressure.”
The T20 World Cup begins on February 7 and features 20 teams. Bangladesh’s withdrawal would mark a major disruption to the tournament.
