ICC to meet with BCB over refusal to play T20 World Cup matches in India

The ICC is set to meet with the Bangladesh Cricket Board [BCB] in a bid to resolve the problem of Bangladesh refusing to play their 2026 T20 World Cup matches in India due to deteriorating relations between the two countries.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that there is a call scheduled for Tuesday, during which the ICC is likely to request the BCB to allow the Bangladesh team to play its group matches in India as per the existing schedule.

The 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka begins on February 7 and concludes on March 8, with Bangladesh playing their first three Group C games in Kolkata on February 7 (vs West Indies), February 9 (vs Italy) and February 14 (vs England). Their final group game against Nepal is in Mumbai on February 17.

On Sunday, however, the BCB wrote to the ICC requesting that the governing body "consider" moving all of Bangladesh's matches "outside" India, citing the "safety and well-being" of the players.

The issue arose following the BCCI's directive to Kolkata Knight Riders [KKR], instructing the franchise to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from its 2026 squad without specifying a reason publicly.

Mustafizur had been bought for INR 9.2 crore (USD 1.02 million approx.) at the IPL auction last month. What remains unconfirmed is who authorised the directive to remove Mustatfizur from the KKR squad. It is understood that there has been no IPL governing council meeting since the auction on December 16.

In its communication to the ICC, the BCB said it was acting on the "advice" of the Bangladesh government, which had raised concerns for the "safety and security of Bangladesh citizens" in India under the "prevailing situation". The BCB took a cautionary stance, though the Bangladesh government has not issued a travel advisory or imposed restrictions on its citizens travelling to or living in India.

The ICC has not made a public comment on the issue or responded to queries. The top brass of ICC, including the chairman Jay Shah, were at the BCCI head office in Mumbai on Monday, deliberating on the development and the next steps.

On the BCB front, it is understood that only a small group of directors, including the board president Aminul Islam and the chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury, have been authorised to engage on the issue with the ICC and the Bangladesh government.