ESPNcricinfo report claims ICC told Bangladesh to play in India or risk forfeiting points

An ESPNcricinfo report has claimed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that Bangladesh would need to travel to India for the upcoming men's T20 World Cup or risk forfeiting points, after rejecting the BCB's request to shift their matches outside the country due to security concerns.

The BCB, however, has maintained that no such ultimatum was relayed to them by the world body.

Conflicting reports emerged from Tuesday's virtual meeting between ICC and BCB officials, with no official statements issued by either the ICC or the BCB on the outcome of the discussions. According to ESPNcricinfo, the ICC rejected the BCB's request on the grounds that there was no security assessment warranting a change of venue, while the BCB has denied being presented with any threat of forfeiture.

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The matter comes less than a month before the 20-team T20 World Cup begins on February 7, with the tournament set to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka until March 8. Bangladesh, placed in Group C, are scheduled to play their first three matches in Kolkata — against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9 and England on February 14 — before concluding their group campaign against Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.

The BCB's decision to write to the ICC was triggered by the BCCI's move to instruct Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who had been bought at the IPL auction in December for INR 9.2 crore. The decision was conveyed to the media by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, though no explanation was provided. It is understood that the IPL Governing Council did not convene to discuss the issue, raising questions about the process behind the decision. Mustafizur was the only Bangladesh player picked at the 2026 IPL auction.

Meanwhile, a Cricbuzz report has suggested that the situation remains unchanged for now, with the ICC having received no tangible or actionable intelligence indicating any security threat to the Bangladesh team in India. According to Cricbuzz, ICC officials told the BCB during Tuesday's online meeting that there was no assessment pointing to any danger for their players.

Cricbuzz further reported that while the BCB formally requested the relocation of all of Bangladesh's matches following an emergency meeting on January 4, no final decision was taken during Tuesday's discussions. However, there are no immediate indications that the ICC is inclined to revise its stance, with a final decision expected to be communicated to the BCB by January 10.

Bangladesh remain scheduled to play three Group C matches in Kolkata before travelling to Mumbai for their final group game, as per the existing tournament itinerary.