The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected a request from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to relocate Bangladesh’s matches of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 from India to Sri Lanka, confirming that the tournament schedule will remain unchanged.
The decision was taken during an ICC Board meeting held via video conference on Wednesday, January 21, where members reviewed the BCB’s concerns and assessed the overall situation. Bangladesh had formally asked for its fixtures to be moved out of India citing security-related apprehensions.
According to the ICC, multiple security assessments were conducted, including independent evaluations, all of which concluded that there is no credible or verifiable threat to the safety of Bangladesh players, team officials, media personnel, or supporters at any of the designated venues in India.
The ICC noted that making changes to the schedule at such an advanced stage of tournament planning was not feasible. It further warned that altering fixtures without substantiated security risks could set an undesirable precedent, potentially compromising the neutrality, fairness, and integrity of future ICC events.
The governing body also confirmed that it remained in continuous dialogue with the BCB, sharing detailed venue-level security plans and assurances from both federal and state law enforcement agencies in India.
In an official statement, an ICC spokesperson said that despite sustained and constructive engagement with the BCB, Bangladesh maintained its position by linking tournament participation to an unrelated domestic league issue involving one of its players. The ICC emphasized that venue and scheduling decisions are based solely on objective security assessments and host guarantees, which apply equally to all 20 participating nations.
The ICC reiterated its commitment to consistent governance standards and safeguarding the collective interests of international cricket.