Bangladesh raises another demand ahead of T20 World Cup 2026, asks ICC to…

Bangladesh has demanded a group change for the T20 World Cup, requesting the ICC to move the team from Group C to Group B.

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Musatfizur Rahman, ICC, BCCI, Cricket Ireland, BCB, Bangladesh Cricket Board

New Delhi: Bangladesh has come up with another plan to addressed the security concerns. BCB demanded a group change for the T20 World Cup, requesting the ICC to move the team from Group C to Group B. The board highlighted the switch would enable Bangladesh to play all its matches in Sri Lanka, helping to minimize travel and security concerns.

On Saturday, January 17, the proposal was made during a meeting with ICC representatives in Dhaka. As per BCB, swapping Ireland for Bangladesh in Group B would allow all of Bangladesh’s matches to take place in one nation and wouldn’t require significant adjustments to the tournament schedule.

Ireland’s Group B matches are scheduled to take place in Colombo against Sri Lanka, Australia, and Oman, and in Kandy against Zimbabwe. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will play its final group match against Nepal in Mumbai after playing three Group C games in Kolkata against the West Indies, Italy, and England.

On Saturday evening, the BCB released an official statement, reiterating its request to the ICC to host Bangladesh’s matches in Sri Lanka. The board also highlighted the concerns raised by the Bangladesh government regarding the safety of the team, fans, media, and others.

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Cricket Ireland clarified that ICC will not shift their matches out of Sri Lanka

However, Cricket Ireland (CI) clarified that the International Cricket Council will not shift their T20 World Cup matches out of Sri Lanka. This comes after reports that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested the ICC to swap their group with Ireland’s.

“We’ve received definitive assurances that we won’t move from the original schedule. We’re definitely playing the Group Stage in Sri Lanka,” an official from CI told Cricbuzz in a statement.

BCCI denied Mustafizur Rahman permission to participate in the IPL

Bangladesh concerns occurred after BCCI denied Mustafizur Rahman permission to participate in the IPL, leading to his release from the KKR squad on January 3.

In response, the Bangladesh government banned the broadcast of IPL matches in the country. Citing security concerns for the players, they subsequently requested a change of venue for the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to start on February 7.

Bangladesh has been placed in Group C for the T20 World Cup, with their fixtures including matches against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14, all at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Their final group match is scheduled against Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.

On December 16, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman for ₹9.20 crore in the IPL mini-auction. However, protests erupted in India over Mustafizur’s inclusion following the reported killings of seven Hindus in Bangladesh. As a result, the BCCI denied him permission to play in the IPL, and KKR released him from the squad on January 3.