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A growing standoff between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) over venue security concerns in India has escalated the situation into a real threat of Bangladesh withdrawing from the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
What will happen if Bangladesh withdraws from T20 World Cup 2026? All ICC scenarios and rules explained
Relations between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated due to attacks on the country’s Hindu minorities. This led to the BCCI ordering Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to withdraw from the team for the upcoming IPL 2026. And this call was considered as an insult by Bangladesh.
Following the Mustafizur Rahman After this episode and the security concerns raised at the government level, Bangladesh decided not to travel to India for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and instead pushed for their matches to be played in Sri Lanka, joint host of the mega-event.
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Currently, Bangladesh are in Group C alongside West Indies, England, Italy and Nepal. Three of these group matches are scheduled at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, while the remaining match is scheduled at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Bangladesh’s refusal to play in India has put the ICC under great pressure to find a solution that does not disrupt the entire event. However, the ICC has three possible ways to handle the situation, but the timing of the decision will play a huge role in what becomes realistic.
Scenario 1: The ICC’s happy medium
The best possible solution would be for the ICC to accede to Bangladesh’s request and move its group matches to Sri Lanka while keeping the rest of the tournament exactly as planned.
This would protect the 20-team format and not need to make major adjustments to the venue. However, this can create a logistical nightmare for fans, broadcasters and other people’s schedules. teams.
Scenario 2: packages and broken group
The second scenario comes into play if the ICC refuses to move the matches and Bangladesh still chooses not to travel to India for the tournament. In this case, the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 could continue with Bangladesh’s matches ‘allocated’ to their opponents.
According to the rules, West Indies, England, Italy and Nepal would be declared winners and receive points even without playing, while Bangladesh’s campaign would be declared dead.
Scenario 2: The sporting nightmare
The third and most extreme outcome would be a complete withdrawal from Bangladesh. The move would leave the ICC in a difficult position as the governing body would either have to find a replacement at short notice or allow the tournament to move forward with matches lost.
Replacing a team would help maintain competitive balance, but that becomes more complicated as the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is just a few weeks away. If a replacement is necessary, the process is far from simple and it would be a headache for the governing body.
Read also: BCB revokes Mustafizur Rahman’s NOC, rules out IPL FOREVER
T20 World Cup shake-up looms as ICC has no replacement ready
There is no fixed backup squad for the T20 World Cup. If Bangladesh withdraw, the ICC will choose a replacement itself, looking at their recent form, how the teams qualified, how quickly they can travel and whether they can fit into the group. calendar gently.
Scotland are one of the strongest associated teams, and they have even replaced a World Cup team in the past. In 2009, Scotland intervened after Zimbabwe’s withdrawal. But the results of the 2026 qualifiers make the decision more complicated.
In the European regional final, the Netherlands and Italy qualified and Jersey finished ahead of Scotland. If the ICC strictly follows qualifying results rather than reputation, Jersey could be chosen. Other team regions could also be considered, but the ICC will likely prefer a team that can join the tournament without causing travel or scheduling issues.
