T20 WC venue row: Bangladesh writes to ICC again

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has sent a second letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC), pushing again for moving Bangladesh's matches in the upcoming

T20 World Cup 2026 from India to Sri Lanka.

This comes amid growing worries about safety during travel to India, with the tournament starting on February 7, 2026.

The 2026 T20 World Cup is being hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka. Under the current schedule, Bangladesh is set to play four group-stage games: three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai. But the BCB isn't committing to these locations, highlighting risks to players and staff. While the exact security issues haven't been shared publicly, they're tied to recent tensions between the two countries, including reports of unrest that have stirred up negative feelings.

The current issue emerged after the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman amid the growing protest in India against playing Bangladeshi players due to minor killings in the other side of the border.

Although ICC has already communicated BCB and has ensured all safety measures, Bangladesh remain adamant for a shift in venue. The BCB has now explained their concerns in depth. It was sent after talks with Bangladesh's sports ministry advisor, who is taking a strong stand against playing in India.

"Following discussions with sports ministry advisor Asif Nazrul, the BCB has once again sent a communication to the ICC. The ICC wanted to know areas of concern with regard to security and BCB has cited them," a source close to BCB told PTI, without mentioning the details of the letter.

There's talk that Colombo in Sri Lanka could host the games instead, but the ICC hasn't commented yet. This disagreement could affect Bangladesh's involvement in the tournament, possibly leading to them pulling out or being replaced if not sorted soon.