The International Cricket Council has confirmed that the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will go ahead as scheduled, with Bangladesh’s matches remaining in India, following a board meeting held by video conference.
The decision comes after the Bangladesh Cricket Board requested that its team’s fixtures be moved to Sri Lanka. The ICC board considered the request but ultimately chose to uphold the published schedule.
According to the ICC, the decision was based on multiple security assessments, including independent reviews, all of which concluded there was no credible threat to the safety of Bangladesh players, officials, media or supporters at any of the tournament venues in India.
The board also noted that changing the schedule at this stage would not be practical and could have wider implications for future ICC events. It said that altering fixtures in the absence of a verified security risk would risk setting a precedent that could undermine the neutrality and integrity of the governing body.
In a statement, the ICC said it had engaged in extensive discussions with the BCB, sharing detailed information about tournament security arrangements, including layered support from federal and state law enforcement agencies in India.
An ICC spokesperson said the organisation had been working “in sustained and constructive dialogue” with the BCB to ensure Bangladesh’s participation. The spokesperson added that the ICC had provided independent security assessments, venue-level security plans and formal assurances from host authorities, all of which found no credible or verifiable threat.
The statement also noted that the BCB had continued to link its participation to what the ICC described as “a single, isolated and unrelated development” involving one of its players in a domestic league. The ICC said this issue had no relevance to the tournament’s security framework or the conditions of participation.
The ICC emphasised that venue and scheduling decisions are based on objective threat assessments, host guarantees and agreed tournament regulations, which apply equally to all 20 competing nations. It warned that relocating Bangladesh’s matches would create significant logistical challenges for other teams and fans, as well as longer-term governance concerns.
“The ICC remains committed to acting in good faith, upholding consistent standards, and safeguarding the collective interests of the global game,” the spokesperson said.
