Bangladesh draws the line: T20 World Cup snub to India after Fizz saga

Bangladesh has taken its boldest cricketing stand yet against India, deciding not to travel there for the upcoming T20 World Cup and formally asking the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift its matches to Sri Lanka.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) sent a letter to the ICC on Sunday, January 4, stating that it is not possible to send the national team to India due to security concerns. 

BCB Director and Cricket Operations Chairman Nazmul Abedin Fahim confirmed the move to Jago News, marking a dramatic escalation after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) forced IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to drop Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman.

The Mustafiz decision has become the flashpoint. Despite being picked by KKR for IPL 2026, Mustafizur was ordered to be released after direct intervention from the BCCI. While Indian cricket authorities stopped short of giving a clear explanation, Indian media reports pointed to pressure from religious and political groups who objected to a Bangladeshi player’s presence in the league amid claims of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed on Saturday that KKR had been instructed to release Mustafizur and allowed to sign a replacement, citing “the prevailing situation”. The lack of transparency only deepened unease in Dhaka.

Within hours, the issue spilled beyond cricket. Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul publicly endorsed the BCB’s stance, announcing on Facebook that Bangladesh would not go to India for the World Cup and calling the decision a response to what he described as communal and discriminatory policies.

Inside the BCB, the message was blunt. Officials informed the ICC that player safety could not be guaranteed under the current circumstances. While Fahim declined to reveal the full contents of the letter, he confirmed that Bangladesh has requested an alternative venue rather than lodging a formal protest against India over the Mustafiz episode.

“We have asked for an alternative,” Fahim said. “The official position will be clarified through a press release.”

Sri Lanka, the joint host of the tournament, has emerged as Bangladesh’s preferred option. Pakistan is already scheduled to play its World Cup matches there due to security considerations, and the BCB argues that Bangladesh deserves similar treatment.

The move has sent shockwaves through South Asian cricket. Only days earlier, the BCB announced India’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh in March 2026, featuring three ODIs and three T20Is, a series postponed from 2025. Now, questions are being raised over whether cricketing ties can remain insulated from political pressure.

For Bangladesh, the message is clear: the Mustafizur incident was not an isolated IPL issue, but a warning sign. By refusing to play World Cup matches in India, Dhaka has turned a player’s exclusion into a statement on dignity, safety and fairness.