The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins today without Bangladesh. For the first time since the inaugural edition in 2007, the Tigers are absent from the global tournament after the Bangladesh Cricket Board decided not to send the team to co-host nation India, citing security concerns under a government directive.
The unprecedented withdrawal follows weeks of exchanges between the BCB and the International Cricket Council. Despite several virtual and in-person meetings, Bangladesh’s request to relocate their matches outside India was rejected. The ICC maintained that there was no visible security threat to the Bangladesh team in India and declined to alter the tournament schedule.
In Bangladesh’s place, Scotland have been drafted into Group C. They will play the four group-stage matches originally allocated to Bangladesh.
Scotland to open their campaign against West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on the first day of the tournament. They will then face Italy and England in Kolkata before travelling to Mumbai to play Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium.
The chain of events traces back to 3 January, when Mustafizur Rahman was withdrawn from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad following a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The development escalated tensions between the BCB and Indian authorities and later expanded into a wider diplomatic and political debate after remarks from leaders associated with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
The following day, the BCB formally requested the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches outside India. The ICC, however, stood firm in its assessment.
In its communication, the ICC stated that the decision regarding Mustafizur was unrelated to the overall security of the Bangladesh national team. It reiterated that there was no security issue concerning Bangladesh’s participation in India.
Prior to the final decision, on 22 January Bangladesh’s youth and sports adviser held an emergency meeting with national cricketers, including members of the World Cup squad. After the meeting, he made the government’s position clear.
Asif Nazrul said, “I want to clearly inform you that the decision not to play the World Cup in India, considering the security risk, is the government’s decision. When citizens of one country travel to another, it is the government that assesses whether there is any security risk. This is not within the scope of anyone else’s consideration. Thank you.”
The implications extend far beyond this tournament. By not participating, Bangladesh will forfeit tournament participation fees, while players will miss out on match fees and performance bonuses.
The ICC also distributes a share of sponsorship and broadcasting revenue from global events among participating teams. Bangladesh will not receive that share, with the combined financial impact estimated to be close to BDT 330 crore.
The sporting consequences may prove even more damaging. With no appearance in this edition, Bangladesh risk slipping in the ICC T20I team rankings due to inactivity at the highest level.
More significantly, they will no longer benefit from automatic qualification pathways. For the next ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2028, Bangladesh are expected to go through the regional qualification process instead of securing direct entry.
