The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after Bangladesh declined to travel to India, citing security concerns.
Scotland will now compete in Group C alongside Italy, Nepal, West Indies, and England.
The decision was communicated to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) via email on Friday evening, after the board confirmed that the Bangladesh government had not granted permission for the national team to travel to India for the tournament.
The final call followed an emergency ICC Board meeting held via video conference on Wednesday. During the meeting, a majority of ICC directors voted to replace Bangladesh if the team continued to refuse travel to India and insisted on relocating its matches to Sri Lanka.
In a statement released after the meeting, the ICC said changing the tournament schedule so close to the start date was not “feasible.”
The board further added that altering the schedule in the absence of any credible security threat in India could set a precedent that would threaten the integrity of future ICC events and undermine the ICC’s neutrality as a global governing body.
The issue began in early January 2026 when BCB requested the ICC to move its T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing concerns over player safety.
The request followed the release of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad under directives from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request, giving BCB a deadline to consult with the Bangladesh government and confirm whether the team would travel under the existing schedule. On January 21, both the Bangladesh government and the BCB formally announced a boycott of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Bangladesh had been scheduled to play their first three Group C matches in Kolkata against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14, before facing Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will proceed as planned from February 7 to March 8, with matches hosted in India and Sri Lanka.
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