January 21 the deadline to confirm Bangladesh’s T20 WC participation as BCB reiterates its stance of playing outside India.
Bangladesh’s participation in 2026 T20 World Cup to be finalised by January 21.
By January 21, a final decision will be made about Bangladesh’s participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup, specifically whether or not they would travel to India for the competition. During their talks in Dhaka on Saturday, ICC told the BCB about the deadline.
The BCB reaffirmed its desire to participate in the T20 World Cup, although outside of India, during their second meeting in a week on Saturday. As co-hosts, Sri Lanka is the obvious choice. The ICC is adamant that it would not alter the original schedule, which has Bangladesh in Group C, despite the BCB’s concerns about security when their team travels and plays in India.
Since the BCB first voiced their concerns on January 4, the standoff has lasted for almost three weeks. Three weeks remain until the World Cup’s opening games on February 7. On the first day, Bangladesh will play the West Indies in Kolkata, where they will also play their following two games. After that, they will play their final group encounter in Mumbai.
It is believed that the ICC rejected BCB’s request to move Bangladesh to Group B and switch places with Ireland, who play their group matches in Sri Lanka, during Saturday’s discussions. It is believed that the ICC gave the BCB assurances that Bangladesh is not in danger.
The overall threat level in India is classified as being in the medium to high band in an advice made by an independent security agency and sent to the 20 participating teams. However, none of the touring teams are directly threatened.
The ICC will wait for the BCB to make the ultimate decision, according to those acquainted with the ICC-BCB talks. The ICC will probably select a replacement side, which would be Scotland based on current rankings, if the BCB declines to permit Bangladesh to visit India.