Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman and his teammates celebrate the wicket of Indian captain Surya Kumar Yadav during the 2025 Asia Cup Super Four match between India and Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (PTI) NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided that the Bangladesh cricket team will not travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The decision was taken at a meeting held on Sunday afternoon.“The board has reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account the developments of the last 24 hours and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh national team in the matches to be played in India,” the BCB said in an official statement.
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“After a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and taking into account the recommendations of the Bangladesh government, the board has decided that the Bangladesh national team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions,” the statement added.The issue was discussed in the backdrop of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s suspension from the Indian Premier League (IPL). BCB directors had earlier held an online meeting on Saturday evening to discuss the matter. At that time, most directors were in favor of taking no drastic action. However, following the intervention of the Bangladeshi government, the council reviewed its position and reversed the decision.The Bangladesh Cricket Board has also requested to relocate its T20 World Cup matches outside India. “In light of this decision, the BCB has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC), as the organizing body, to consider shifting all Bangladesh matches to a venue outside India,” the BCB said.The development comes after Mustafizur Rahman was released by IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), amid rising diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh.KKR bought the 30-year-old left-arm pacer for Rs 9.20 crore in the player auction last month. His base price was 2 million rupees and the bidding included Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals.The BCCI said KKR will have the option to name a replacement player if needed for the tournament, which is scheduled to begin on March 26.India and Sri Lanka are co-hosting the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026. According to the schedule released so far, Bangladesh are scheduled to play the West Indies in Kolkata on February 7, the opening day of the tournament.The remaining three matches of Bangladesh’s group stage are also scheduled to be played in Kolkata and Mumbai.Earlier on Sunday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board announced the 15-member squad for the World Cup, with Liton Das named as the captain.
