Bangladesh Seeks to Play T20 World Cup Matches Outside India, BCCI Breaks Silence

The lead-up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 has already been marred by controversy. Following the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL, Bangladesh has reportedly expressed reluctance to play their T20 World Cup matches in India.

The Controversy

Mustafizur Rahman was recently released by his IPL franchise, sparking outrage in Bangladesh. The country is co-hosting the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 along with India, scheduled to begin on February 7. Following the IPL incident, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reportedly requested the ICC to schedule their matches outside India, citing concerns over player participation.

This move has generated significant debate ahead of the mega T20 tournament, with many wondering if the issue could affect the tournament’s schedule.

BCCI’s Response

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now responded for the first time regarding this matter. On Friday, a meeting was held in Mumbai involving senior BCCI officials. When asked about Bangladesh’s request to move matches outside India, BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia told PTI,

“This meeting was primarily about the Center of Excellence (COE) and other cricket-related matters. The issue you are referring to is not within our domain to discuss.”

BCCI Meeting Highlights

Devjit Saikia also took to Twitter to share details of the Mumbai meeting. Posting two photos from the event, he wrote:

“A productive meeting was held today in Mumbai with BCCI officials and COE Head VVS Laxman. Current activities were reviewed, and a roadmap was outlined to further strengthen India’s cricketing talent.”

The meeting was attended by BCCI President Mithun Manhas, Vice President Rajiv Shukla, and Joint Secretary Prabhtej Bhatia.

With tensions rising over Mustafizur’s IPL release and Bangladesh’s stance, the coming weeks could see further discussions between ICC, BCB, and BCCI before the T20 World Cup begins.