BCCI on Bangladesh exit from T20 World Cup 2026: What went wrong and who replaced them
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President Rajeev Shukla has confirmed that India provided full security assurances to the Bangladesh cricket team, but changing the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 schedule at the last moment was not feasible.
His comments came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) officially announced that Scotland has replaced Bangladesh in the upcoming tournament, following Bangladesh’s decision to withdraw.
Why did Bangladesh pull out of the T20 World Cup 2026?
According to the ICC, the Bangladesh government did not grant clearance for the national team to travel to India, where several matches are scheduled to be held. This triggered weeks of discussions between the ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
“We wanted Bangladesh to play and we also assured full security, but since they have made this decision, it is very difficult to change the entire schedule at the last moment. This is why Scotland was brought in,” Rajeev Shukla told ANI.
Tensions had earlier increased after the BCCI reportedly asked IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman for the 2026 season, citing “developments all around.” The BCB viewed this as a signal that player safety could not be guaranteed.
Why did the ICC replace Bangladesh with Scotland?
The ICC said it conducted multiple rounds of discussions with the BCB over more than three weeks, including video meetings and in-person talks. Independent security assessments were also carried out, covering both federal and state-level arrangements in India.
According to the ICC, these assessments found no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh team, officials, or fans. However, when the BCB failed to confirm participation within the deadline set by the ICC Business Corporation (IBC) Board, the governing body moved ahead with its replacement process.
Scotland was chosen as they are the highest-ranked T20I team not originally qualified, currently ranked 14th in the world — ahead of several teams already in the tournament, including Namibia, UAE, Nepal, USA, Canada, Oman and Italy.