Cricket Kitchen

Bangladesh Requests T20 World Cup Matches Be Moved Outside India

January 4, 2026

Kathmandu – Bangladesh has said it will request that its matches in the upcoming T20 World Cup, set to begin next month in Sri Lanka, be held outside India following an incident in which an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise released a Bangladeshi cricketer.

In a statement issued on Sunday through the state-run BSS news agency, Bangladesh’s interim government adviser for youth and sports, Asif Nazrul, said any form of disrespect toward Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers, or the nation was unacceptable.

“We will not accept any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers, or Bangladesh under any circumstances,” he said, adding, “The days of servitude are over.”

According to Nazrul, amid rising tensions between neighboring countries, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had “advised” IPL franchises, after which Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman on Saturday.

Nazrul said the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been instructed to write a formal letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC). “If a situation arises where a Bangladeshi cricketer is contracted but unable to play in India, then the entire Bangladeshi team cannot feel safe playing World Cup matches there,” he said.

Citing this concern, he added that the board has also been directed to request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka.

The T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is scheduled to begin on February 7. According to the current schedule, Bangladesh is set to play four group-stage matches in India.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will play all of its matches in Sri Lanka under an arrangement that allows India and Pakistan to use neutral venues for multinational tournaments.

Relations between India and Bangladesh are reported to have deteriorated following a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 that led to the ouster of then–Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was considered a close ally of India.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs last month criticized what it described as “continued hostility toward minorities” in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh’s interim leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has accused India of exaggerating the scale of the violence.

BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul said an emergency meeting of the board would be held after Sunday. “The dignity and safety of our cricketers are our top priorities, and we will make decisions accordingly at the appropriate time,” he told reporters on Saturday night.

Mustafizur, who has previously played for several IPL teams, was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders in December for more than one million US dollars. However, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said Kolkata had been advised to “release” the 30-year-old player “in light of recent developments.” The 2026 IPL season is scheduled to begin on March 26.

Nazrul also said he would request that the IPL be blocked from Bangladeshi broadcasters. “I have asked the adviser for information and broadcasting to stop the telecast of the IPL tournament in Bangladesh,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders, which is majority-owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, stated that Mustafizur was released “following due process and consultation.”