The dispute regarding the relocation of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 matches of Bangladesh, originally fixed inside Indian borders, has escalated into a dispute between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council, with the ICC chairman, Jay Shah, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India firmly in the driving seat.
Bangladesh formally asked for Group C matches
The matches set to be played in Kolkata and Mumbai, be shifted to a neutral site such as Sri Lanka. The BCB explained that it shifted the matches due to security concerns for their players and staff, following an order from the BCCI to let their Bangladeshi fast bowler, Mustafizur Rahman of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), leave the team to return to Bangladesh from the Indian Premier League 2026.
In answer to this, the ICC, led by Jay Shah, denied the request for the location of the event to be changed, retaining the original schedule and stipulating that Bangladesh must play in India or forfeit points. In essence, the BCB finds itself in a weaker negotiation stance since the ICC has control of the schedule of play for the tournaments.
The BCCI also ruled out the feasibility of changing venues at short notice and stressed that complicated logistics, such as travel and broadcasting arrangements, besides accommodation, were already being finalised.
With the tensions rising, Bangladesh has said that it would not go across the border under such conditions-thus deepening the uncertainty. This development reflects how big-ticket sporting events remain vulnerable to diplomacy and security apprehensions, before being eventually dictated by the strong will of the BCCI position ensured by ICC leadership, cricket administrators say.
