Jay Shah's ICC Takes Stringent Stance On Bangladesh's T20 World Cup Demand

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has issued a warning to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over its request to relocate its T20 World Cup 2026 matches from India to Sri Lanka. The BCB, upset over pacer Mustafizur Rahman's release from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for the Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign this year, decided to ban IPL telecast in the country this year, while also requesting ICC to shift its matches. The top cricket body, chaired by Jay Shah, however, has rejected Bangladesh's request, NDTV sources have confirmed

Sources have told us that a virtual call took place on Tuesday, where the ICC told BCB that it was rejecting its request to play Bangladesh's matches in Sri Lanka due to security concerns. The ICC is said to have warned the BCB that the Bangladesh men's national team is obliged to travel to India to play the T20 World Cup. A failure to do so would see them forfeit points in the showpiece event.

An official notification on Tuesday's call is yet to be issued by either the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the BCB or the ICC.

The T20 World Cup this year is set to take place across India and Sri Lanka, spanning from February 7 to March 8. Bangladesh, competing in Group C, will begin their campaign with a three-match stint in Kolkata, facing the West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14. They will then travel to Mumbai to wrap up the group stage against Nepal on February 17.

The entire controversy started after BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia revealed that the Knight Riders have been instructed to release Mustafizur from his Rs 9.20 crore contract amid the volatile political situation between the two countries.

It has also been reported that IPL Governing Council and other top officials in the BCCI never met to discuss the matter of Mustafizur's release. The decision, in fact, is said to have been relayed from the absolute top of the BCCI management.

What Happened In BCB Emergency Meeting

A BCB emergency meeting was held following the announcement by KKR that they had removed Mustafizur from their IPL 2026 roster in response to a directive from the BCCI regarding atrocities committed against minorities in Bangladesh.

"An emergency meeting of the Board of Directors of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was held this afternoon to discuss recent developments related to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka," the BCB release said.

"The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours, and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India," it added.

"Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and considering the advice from the Bangladesh Government, the Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions," the BCB release further said.