The International Cricket Council (ICC) is open to considering the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to relocate Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka, according to Cricbuzz.
While no formal ICC meeting has yet taken place and no final decision has been made, sources indicate that the world governing body has not ruled out shifting Bangladesh’s fixtures to Sri Lanka, one of the tournament’s co-hosts. A decision is expected within the next one or two days.
Under the existing schedule, Bangladesh are due to play all four of their group-stage matches in India—three at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and one at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The tournament is set to run from 7 February to 8 March across eight venues in India and Sri Lanka.
The development follows an emergency meeting of the BCB’s board of directors in Dhaka, after which the board decided that the Bangladesh national team would not travel to India under the current circumstances. The decision was taken after assessing the prevailing situation, growing concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent, and advice received from the Bangladesh government.
Following that meeting, the BCB formally approached the ICC on 04 January, requesting that all of Bangladesh’s matches be staged at venues outside India. The board said it is now awaiting an urgent response from the tournament organisers.
The situation escalated after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman, citing “recent developments”. Although the BCCI did not publicly elaborate, the decision has been linked to reports of violence against minority Hindus in Bangladesh. The episode prompted the BCB to reassess broader security concerns related to the World Cup.
As things stand, Bangladesh are scheduled to face West Indies on 7 February, Italy on 9 February and England on 14 February at Eden Gardens, before playing Nepal on 17 February in Mumbai. Whether those fixtures remain in India or are moved to Sri Lanka will depend on the ICC’s forthcoming decision.
The ICC has yet to issue a public statement, but discussions with stakeholders are ongoing as the governing body considers how best to proceed.
