IPL row: Bangladesh seek to shift T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is considering asking the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move its ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka, following the controversial release of their fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman by IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), according to ESPNCricinfo.

Mustafizur, who had been signed by KKR for Rs9.2 crore (Rs92 million) for the 2026 IPL season, was dropped from the squad after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) intervened, citing concerns linked to political tensions. The pacer’s inclusion in the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise had sparked criticism amid protests over the treatment of religious minorities in Bangladesh.

KKR later confirmed Mustafizur’s release, stating the decision followed due process and consultations with the BCCI. “BCCI will allow Kolkata Knight Riders a replacement player in line with IPL regulations, and further details will be communicated in due course,” the franchise added.

Bangladesh is scheduled to play three of its four Group C matches at Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens during this year’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Their opponents in Kolkata will be West Indies, Italy, and England, while the fourth match against Nepal is set for Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. The tournament begins on February 7.

Following an emergency board meeting on Saturday via Zoom, BCB Media Committee Chairman Amzad Hussain told ESPNCricinfo that the board plans to write to the ICC regarding player safety. “We have three matches of the T20 World Cup in Kolkata, so we will write to the ICC regarding what has happened today,” Hussain said.

Bangladesh sports adviser Asif Nazrul also raised concerns over the team’s safety in India. On social media, he said he would instruct the BCB to request that their matches be shifted to Sri Lanka, the other co-host of the tournament.

“I have asked the BCB to explain the entire matter to the ICC,” Nazrul wrote on Facebook. “If a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being contracted, the entire team cannot feel safe. I have instructed the Board to request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka.”