Bangladesh's Sports Ministry has instructed its cricket board to request the ICC to relocate the country's T20 World Cup 2026 league matches from India to Sri Lanka over safety concerns for players. This follows the release of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL squad on BCCI orders amid strained bilateral ties. The move highlights escalating tensions between India and Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) received instructions from government advisor Asif Nazrul to formally ask the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift Bangladesh's four T20 World Cup league games scheduled in India to Sri Lanka. These matches include games against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14 in Kolkata, and against Nepal on February 17 in Mumbai. Nazrul cited concerns about players' safety, pointing to the recent ouster of Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL squad despite a ₹9.2 crore contract.
"As the adviser in charge of the Ministry of Sports, I have instructed the Cricket Control Board to put the entire matter in writing and explain it to the ICC," Nazrul wrote on Facebook. "The board must make it clear that if a Bangladeshi cricketer, despite being under contract, cannot play in India, then the Bangladesh national team cannot feel safe travelling to India to play the World Cup." He also directed the BCB to request the matches be held in Sri Lanka and asked for the suspension of IPL broadcasts in Bangladesh, stating, "Under no circumstances will we tolerate any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers, or Bangladesh itself."
The release of Mustafizur, the only Bangladeshi player in IPL 2026, came after BCCI instructions due to recent developments. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the directive, allowing KKR to name a replacement. A BCCI source dismissed the relocation request as a "logistical nightmare," noting booked travel and accommodations for teams, with three games per day complicating broadcasts.
Bilateral relations have deteriorated since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India in August 2024 following protests, later sentenced to death in absentia for her role in a crackdown. Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have intensified, contributing to the tensions. Uttar Pradesh minister Narendra Kashyap welcomed the player's release, saying it respected national sentiments amid atrocities against Hindus. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticized it, questioning, "What if the Bangladeshi player in question had been Litton Das or Soumya Sarkar? Who are we punishing here: a nation, an individual, his religion?"
Pakistan's World Cup games are already in Sri Lanka due to prior arrangements. BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul held an emergency meeting but refrained from comments, awaiting official BCCI communication.
