Bangladesh will not play T20 World Cup matches in India

• Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman released by IPL franchise.
• Dhaka wants team's T20 World Cup matches to be held in Sri Lanka.
• Dignity, security of our cricketers are our top priorities: BCB chief.

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday said that its national side will not travel to India for the T20 World Cup 2026, expressing concern "over the overall circumstances" in the country.

Discussions over Bangladesh potentially refusing to play their T20 World Cup fixtures in India gained traction following the release of pacer Mustafizur Rahman by his Indian Premier League side amid growing tension between the two nations.

In a statement, the BCB said it had decided not to send its team to India, which is co-hosting the upcoming tournament with Sri Lanka.

"The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India," the cricket board added.

Citing growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent, the BCB said that the Bangladesh team will not play its games in India.

It added that it has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to consider relocating all of Bangladesh's matches to a venue outside India.

The BCB said that such a measure was necessary to safeguard the safety of Bangladeshi players, team officials, and other stakeholders, and it looked forward to the ICC's urgent response to their request.

The statement comes shortly after the country's sports adviser, Asif Nazrul, said that the decision was taken in the context of the extreme communal policy of India's cricket board.

"The board said that where a Bangladesh cricketer can't play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladesh cricket team can't feel safe to go to the World Cup," Nazrul said.

"I have also instructed the board to request Bangladesh World Cup games to be held in Sri Lanka."

Nazrul said he had ordered the BCB to write to the ICC.

"The board should inform that, where a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going to play in the World Cup," he wrote.'

"I have also instructed the board to request that Bangladesh's World Cup matches should be held in Sri Lanka."

Dignity, security 'top priority'

The T20 World Cup begins on February 7, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh are scheduled to play their four group matches in India.

Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka, part of a deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments.

Political relations between India and Bangladesh soured after a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 toppled then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi.

India's foreign ministry last month condemned what it called "unremitting hostility against minorities" in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has accused India of exaggerating the scale of the violence.

BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul said the board were considering their options.

"The dignity and security of our cricketers are our top priorities, and we will take a decision at the appropriate time, keeping these in mind," he told reporters late Saturday.

Mustafizur, who has previously played in the IPL for other teams, was snapped up at auction in December by Kolkata for more than $1 million.

But BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said that "considering recent developments" Kolkata had been "advised to release" the 30-year-old.

The 2026 IPL season begins on March 26.

Nazrul said he would also ask that the IPL be blocked by Bangladeshi broadcasters.

"I have requested the Information and Broadcasting Adviser to stop the broadcasting of the IPL tournament in Bangladesh," he said.

Kolkata, majority-owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, subsequently said that Mustafizur's "release has been carried out following due process and consultations".

The cricket row comes only days after tensions between the nations had appeared to have eased.

India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Bangladesh last week, the most senior visit by an Indian official since the overthrow of Hasina.

On Friday, the BCB announced that India would go to Bangladesh for six white-ball matches in September.

Bangladesh will hold its first elections since the uprising on February 12.

T20 World Cup squad

Meanwhile, the BCB has announced it squad for the T20 World Cup with fast bowlers Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed leading the bowling attack at the event next month, while batter Jaker Ali was axed

Taskin, who has taken 106 wickets in 86 T20Is, returns to the team after missing their 2-1 series win over Ireland in December while he was competing in the Abu Dhabi T10 league.

Mustafizur and Taskin will spearhead a pace department which also includes Tanzim Hasan, Shoriful Islam and Mohammad Saifuddin, with Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan the spinners in the squad.

Litton Das will captain the team and will be tasked with putting runs on the board alongside Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan.

Jaker misses out after a poor 2025 in which he managed just 378 runs in 26 T20Is.

15-member lineup: Litton Das (captain), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Tawhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Shaif Uddin, Shoriful Islam