ICC to Bangladesh: play in India or forfeit points

Conflicting reports have emerged from the ICC's call with the BCB on Tuesday over Bangladesh travelling to India to participate in the upcoming men's T20 World Cup.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that in a virtual call on Tuesday, the ICC told BCB that it was rejecting the latter's request to play Bangladesh's matches outside India due to security concerns. The ICC is understood to have told the BCB that Bangladesh will need to travel to India to play the T20 World Cup or risk forfeiting points. The BCB, though, has claimed no such ultimatum has been relayed to them by the governing body.

There has also been no official communication issued by either the BCCI or BCB on the outcome of Tuesday's call, which was arranged by ICC after BCB wrote in on Sunday asking to "consider" moving Bangladesh's matches outside India.

The development comes nearly a month before the 20-team tournament starts in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 and concludes on March 8. Bangladesh, placed in Group C, are scheduled to play their first three matches in Kolkata: on February 7 (vs West Indies), February 9 (vs Italy) and February 14 (vs England) with their final group game, against Nepal, in Mumbai on February 17.

The BCB's decision to write to ICC was triggered by the BCCI "instructing" Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who the franchise had bought in the IPL auction in December for INR 9.2 crore.

The BCCI's decision was notified to media by its secretary Devajit Saikia. However, he did not provide the reason behind KKR being asked to release Mustafizur, who was the only Bangladesh player bought at the 2026 auction.

It is understood that the IPL Governing Council never met to discuss the situation, so questions remain about who exactly was involved in the Mustafizur decision other than Saikia.