The Bangladesh Cricket Board is set to make a final call by January 21 on whether the national team will participate in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup amid a lingering dispute over travel to India and security concerns officials say. The deadline was confirmed during fresh talks in Dhaka between the BCB and the International Cricket Council with Bangladesh reiterating that it is willing to play in the tournament but wants its matches moved out of India proposing co‑host Sri Lanka as an alternative venue. The ICC has stood firm that the original schedule will remain unchanged with Bangladesh placed in Group C and slated to play three group matches in Kolkata and Mumbai asserting there is no specific security threat for the team. According to cricket sources if Bangladesh ultimately rejects travel to India the ICC could invite a replacement team with Scotland emerging as the most likely candidate based on rankings as the World Cup approaches its February 7 start date and uncertainty continues to mount. The situation has also drawn reactions from other cricket boards with reports suggesting Pakistan has offered support to Bangladesh’s stance and may even review its own preparations if the issue remains unresolved underscoring growing tensions in the cricketing world over the high‑profile tournament’s logistics and security debate.
