Bangladesh T20 captain reacts to World Cup boycott: He can play in Pakistan, so why not in India?

Bangladesh T20I captain Litton Das has reignited the debate over his country’s withdrawal from the T20 World Cup in India, a decision initially attributed to security concerns. His latest comments directly challenge earlier explanations that the challenge was mutually agreed upon by the players and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

The remarks brought renewed attention to one of the more controversial administrative decisions in Bangladeshi cricket, especially as the International Cricket Council (ICC) found no credible security threats at the time of the tournament.

In an interview with Bangladeshi outlet Prothom Alo, Litton Das questioned the reasons for the withdrawal and compared it to Bangladesh’s experience of touring other countries.
“They told us there is no safety in that country (India). We told them we played in Pakistan too. They were standing outside the gun room. What could be more dangerous?” he said.

“If we can play in Pakistan, why not in India,” Litton added, emphasizing his disapproval of the decision.

Bangladesh superstar batsman and T20 captain Litton Das criticizes Muhammad Yunus for not letting them play T20 World Cup

“They told us there is no safety in that country (India). We told them we played in Pakistan too. They were standing outside the gun room. pic.twitter.com/MKhu5I9wOz— Sensei Kraken Zero (@YearOfTheKraken) June 8, 2026

Former interim sports advisor Asif Nazrul had earlier said that the players and BCB had jointly decided not to participate in the tournament. However, Litton rejected this account, suggesting that the decision was not so consensual as suggested and that the players’ perspective may not have been fully considered in the final challenge.

WHY DID BANGLADESH BOYCOTT?

Bangladesh was originally scheduled to participate in the T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. However, the BCB eventually opted out of playing matches in India, citing security concerns due to deteriorating political relations between the two countries at the time.

In response, the board reportedly pushed for a hybrid model, demanding that all Bangladesh matches be moved to Sri Lanka instead of being held in India. The proposal was put forward as a compromise solution that would still allow Bangladesh to stay in the tournament.

However, the ICC, after conducting its own assessment, found no specific or credible threat to Bangladesh’s participation in India and rejected the request to relocate the matches. With no resolution between the governing body and the BCB, the ICC reportedly issued an ultimatum demanding that Bangladesh either confirm participation under existing arrangements or withdraw altogether.

In the end, Bangladesh withdrew from the competition and Scotland were drafted in as replacements to ensure the tournament continued as planned without disrupting the overall schedule or format.

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Published on:

09 Jun 2026 12:18 IST