T20 World Cup: Bangladesh won’t travel to India

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided against sending the national team to India for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. This significant resolution emerged from a recent directors' meeting. Consequently, the board has petitioned the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s scheduled fixtures to Sri Lanka. This development follows a bitter controversy where the BCCI ordered the Kolkata Knight Riders to release star Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 roster, yielding to demands from Indian political and religious figures.

That exclusion ignited widespread public fury across Bangladesh. Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul had urged the BCB to boycott the India leg citing security risks and “communal policies.” On Sunday, Nazrul publicly applauded the board's stance. He stated on social media that he welcomes the decision to avoid India, interpreting the move as a necessary response to the Indian cricket board's actions, thereby prioritizing national dignity and ensuring player safety abroad.