Incident Overview
NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has resolved that the Bangladesh cricket team will not visit India for the forthcoming T20 World Cup. This decision was finalized during a meeting held on Sunday afternoon, which saw attendance from 17 members of the Board of Directors, as reported by the Bangladeshi news outlet Prothom Alo.
The deliberation was framed against the backdrop of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s omission from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Prior to this, BCB directors conducted an online meeting on Saturday night to discuss the situation. Initially, most directors favored refraining from taking any stringent action. Nonetheless, the Prothom Alo report indicated that after government intervention, the board revisited its position and altered the decision.
Government Influence and Board Decision
The development follows Mustafizur Rahman’s release by the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) based on directives from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), amid escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh.
KKR had secured the 30-year-old left-arm pacer for Rs 9.20 crore during last month’s players’ auction. His base price was Rs 2 crore, with bidding involvement from Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals.
The BCCI announced that KKR can nominate a replacement player if required for the tournament, which is slated to start on March 26.
Upcoming T20 World Cup Schedule
India and Sri Lanka are the joint hosts for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. According to the schedule released so far, Bangladesh is set to face West Indies in Kolkata on February 7, the opening day of the tournament.
The remaining three group-stage encounters for Bangladesh are also planned to be held in Kolkata and Mumbai.
Bangladesh Squad Announcement
Earlier on Sunday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board declared a 15-member squad for the World Cup, with Liton Das appointed as the captain.