Bangladesh to make final decision on T20 World Cup participation on Jan 21: report

• Sri Lanka requestsmatches be held outside India over security concerns.
• Scotland set to be named replacement team based on current rankings.
• Pakistan stresses no country should face pressure, threats from India.

Bangladesh's participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup, and specifically whether the team travels to India, will reportedly  be decided by January 21, following discussions in Dhaka where the International Cricket Council (ICC) reportedly conveyed a deadline to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

During the second meeting in a week with the ICC on Saturday, the BCB reiterated its intention to play in the T20 World Cup but requested matches be held outside India over security concerns, suggesting co-host Sri Lanka as an alternative.

The ICC, however, rejected the request, keeping Bangladesh in Group C and assuring there is no security threat to the team while touring and playing in India, ESPNcricinfo reported.

The report claimed that the top cricketing body also turned down the BCB's request to move Bangladesh to Group B, swapping places with Ireland.

It emerged that the ICC will wait for the BCB's decision regarding participation in the tournament, and if Bangladesh chooses not to travel to India, Scotland is set to be named the replacement team based on current rankings.

The issue has remained unresolved for nearly three weeks after the BCB first formally conveyed its concerns on January 4.

With the T20 World Cup scheduled to begin on February 7, Bangladesh are currently slated to play their opening match against West Indies in Kolkata, followed by two more group games at the same venue, before concluding their group-stage fixtures in Mumbai.

The dispute traces back to the removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL 2026 squad on instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), without any official explanation.

This development was followed by the Bangladesh government banning the broadcast of the IPL in the country, after which the BCB formally informed the ICC of its refusal to play T20 World Cup matches in India — a position it has maintained since.

It was also learnt on Saturday that Pakistan is expected to reassess its participation in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 in India-Sri Lanka, following increasing concerns related to the Bangladesh cricket team.

The Bangladesh government has reached out to Pakistan for support over its decision to skip travelling to India for the tournament, citing security concerns, sources told Geo News.

They added that Pakistan supports Bangladesh's legitimate concerns, emphasising that they should be addressed and acted upon.

Pakistan has also stressed that no country should face pressure or threats from India, assuring Bangladesh of its full support on the matter.