Bangladesh has officially been ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 and has been replaced by Scotland, according to sources. The ICC informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board through a letter on Saturday, January 24. It came after Bangladesh decided to pull out of the tournament, citing security concerns.
The ICC informed the BCB by email on Friday evening after Bangladesh said its government had not given permission to travel to India for the tournament, which begins on February 7. The BCB had also said it wanted to take the matter to the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee, though ICC rules state that the committee cannot act as an appeal body against decisions taken by the ICC Board.
The final decision followed an emergency ICC Board meeting held via video conference, where a clear majority voted to replace Bangladesh if they continued to refuse to play in India. The ICC said it was not feasible to change the tournament schedule so close to the start date and added that there was no credible security threat in India. The board also felt that changing venues would set a bad precedent for future ICC events.
The security issue was raised after the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad on January 3. Bangladesh linked this development to broader security concerns, but the ICC rejected it, saying the Mustafizur issue was isolated and unrelated to the T20 World Cup’s security arrangements.
Scotland was named as the replacement team based on ICC rankings. This will be Scotland’s sixth appearance in a T20 World Cup. They played in the 2022 and 2024 editions but did not qualify for the Super 8 stage, although they pushed teams like Australia and England in 2024.
Scotland will compete in Group C along with England, the West Indies, Italy, and Nepal. Their first match will be against the West Indies on February 7 in Kolkata. They will play Italy on February 9 at Eden Gardens, face England at the same venue later, and complete their group matches against Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.
Why Did Bangladesh Withdraw From T20 World Cup 2026
Bangladesh will not play the T20 World Cup 2026 in India after the ICC rejected their request to shift matches out of the country. The tournament is scheduled to start on February 7.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board took the decision after a meeting between national team players and Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul. The ICC had given Bangladesh a 24-hour ultimatum to confirm participation or face replacement, stating there was no credible security threat in India.
Asif Nazrul said the ICC’s stance was unacceptable and that Bangladesh’s security concerns remained unchanged. He said the concerns were based on real situations, not assumptions, and added that Bangladesh wanted permission to play their matches in Sri Lanka instead.
BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul said Bangladesh wanted to play the World Cup but would not do so in India. He added that the board would continue communicating with the ICC to find an alternative solution and criticized the ICC’s handling of the issue.
Bangladesh was scheduled to play four matches in India, three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai. The security concerns were raised after pacer Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the IPL following instructions from the BCCI.
Following Bangladesh’s refusal, they have officially been ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 and replaced by Scotland, according to sources.
FAQs
Q. Why was Bangladesh ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026?
A. Bangladesh pulled out after citing security concerns about playing the tournament in India, and the ICC rejected their request to move matches out of the country.
Q. How did the ICC inform Bangladesh about the decision?
A. The ICC informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board through an email and a formal letter on January 24 after an emergency ICC Board meeting.
Q. Which team replaced Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2026?
A. Scotland replaced Bangladesh based on ICC rankings in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Q. When and where will Scotland play their group matches?
A. Scotland will play West Indies on February 7 in Kolkata, Italy on February 9 at Eden Gardens, England later at Eden Gardens, and Nepal on February 17 in Mumbai.
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