A significant diplomatic and sporting crisis emerged in January 2026 when the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced its national team would not travel to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin in February 2026 .
The BCB cited concerns over the “safety and well-being” of its players and officials amid heightened political tensions between the two neighboring countries . The decision followed a request from India’s cricket board, the BCCI, to the Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman from its squad, which the BCB perceived as a politically motivated act .
Bangladesh formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate all its World Cup matches to the tournament’s co-host, Sri Lanka . However, the ICC, after reviewing independent security assessments that found no credible threat in India, rejected the request as “not feasible” at such a late stage . The global governing body warned Bangladesh that failure to participate would result in its replacement in the tournament, which subsequently occurred with Scotland taking its place .
The dispute had immediate and wide-ranging consequences. In a related but separate development, Bangladesh approved a tour by its national shooting team to New Delhi for the Asian Shooting Championships in early February, demonstrating a compartmentalization of sporting relations . The incident drew scrutiny from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with concerns raised that the overt politicization of sport could negatively impact India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games .
References:
- The Guardian. “Breakdown in cricket relations with Bangladesh rings alarm bells for India’s Olympic bid.” theguardian.com, 30 Jan. 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jan/30/breakdown-in-cricket-relations-with-bangladesh-rings-alarm-bells-for-indias-olympic-bid .
- Sky Sports. “Why are there tensions between Bangladesh and India ahead of T20 World Cup – and how could England be impacted?” skysports.com, 22 Jan. 2026. https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12350/13490683/why-are-there-tensions-between-bangladesh-and-india-ahead-of-t20-world-cup-and-how-could-england-be-impacted .
- Al Jazeera. “Bangladesh approves shooting team India tour, days after T20 World Cup ban.” aljazeera.com, 29 Jan. 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/1/29/bangladesh-approves-shooting-team-india-tour-days-after-t20-world-cup-ban .
