Bangladesh’s cricket board will formally request the ICC to move the men’s T20 World Cup fixtures scheduled for Kolkata to Sri Lanka, citing player-safety worries after Mustafizur Rahman’s unexpected exit from the IPL.
The left-arm seamer was released by Kolkata Knight Riders late on Friday, a decision the BCCI linked to “recent developments” in strained political relations between Dhaka and New Delhi. That move has spooked officials in Dhaka, who now question whether the national side can be fully protected when the tournament begins next month.
Media-committee chairman Amzad Hussain confirmed an emergency board meeting was held on Saturday. “We have three matches of the T20 World Cup in Kolkata, so we will write to the ICC regarding what has happened today,” he said.
Sports adviser to the prime minister, Asif Nazrul, went further on social media. “I have asked the BCB to explain the entire matter to the ICC,” he wrote on Facebook. “The board should inform that where a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going to play in the World Cup. I have also instructed the Board to request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka.”
Nazrul added that he has petitioned the information and broadcasting ministry to suspend IPL broadcasts in Bangladesh, a step that would be unprecedented.
The request to the ICC is expected early next week. Under tournament regulations, any change of venue requires agreement from the host board and the global body, and it remains unclear whether India would countenance such a late switch. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, has indicated it could stage the fixtures at short notice.
Mustafizur’s situation is awkward for Knight Riders, who paid INR 9.2 crore (about £875,000) for him at December’s auction. The franchise had faced criticism from several political figures for hiring a Bangladeshi player while relations between the two governments cooled. After the directive from the BCCI, KKR confirmed the contract had been terminated.
The Bangladesh board had only just released its 2026 home itinerary, which includes a rescheduled white-ball series against India. That programme now looks less certain.
As it stands, Bangladesh are due to open their World Cup campaign against West Indies at Eden Gardens on 7 February, followed by two further group games in Kolkata and a final pool match in Mumbai. If the ICC declines their request, the Tigers will have to decide whether to travel or consider stronger action, such as a boycott—though officials stopped short of that language on Saturday.
For now, all eyes are on Dubai, where the ICC’s events team will weigh the Bangladeshi plea, India’s security guarantees and the practicalities of moving three high-profile matches barely a month out from the first ball.
