SRINAGAR: Bangladesh have declined to travel to India for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, citing concerns over the “safety and well-being” of their players amid worsening political relations between the two countries.
The decision follows the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) objections to instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman.
Bangladesh were scheduled to play their T20 World Cup matches in Kolkata and Mumbai, beginning with an opening fixture against West Indies at Eden Gardens on February 7.
In a statement posted on X, the BCB said its board of directors had decided that the national team would not travel to India under the present circumstances, following an assessment of the situation and advice from the Bangladesh government. The board added that it had formally approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) to consider relocating all of Bangladesh’s matches to venues outside India.
The move comes after Mustafizur Rahman was released by his Indian Premier League franchise amid rising diplomatic tensions. Kolkata Knight Riders confirmed on Saturday that the bowler was released on the directions of the BCCI, according to multiple media reports.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have been strained in recent months, particularly after protests erupted near Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi following the killing of a Hindu factory worker, Dipu Chandra Das, in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district. Twelve people were arrested in connection with the incident, which further aggravated diplomatic tensions already heightened after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India following domestic unrest.
