T20 World Cup Row: ICC Eyes Bangladesh, Not Sri Lanka, for Alternative Venues

The International Cricket Council is preparing an official reply to Bangladesh Cricket Board’s request about the T20 World Cup 2026, after the board sought to move Bangladesh’s matches out of India on safety grounds, with a response expected between Monday and Tuesday this week.

Less than four weeks remain before the T20 World Cup 2026 begins, and competing teams are due to reach India in the first week of February for training, so tournament organisers are under pressure to settle the venue dispute that has dominated headlines.

T20 World Cup 2026 venue change request and security concerns

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has asked the ICC to shift Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures from India to Sri Lanka, formally citing 'security concerns' after fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released by Kolkata Knight Riders on the suggestion of the BCCI.

Despite the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s request to move the T20 World Cup 2026 games abroad, the ICC is understood to favour keeping the matches in India, suggesting Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram instead of the original venues in Kolkata and Mumbai.

T20 World Cup 2026 India venues and alternatives

Bangladesh are currently listed to play group stage matches in Kolkata and Mumbai during the T20 World Cup 2026, but the ICC has floated Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram as replacement grounds if the Bangladesh Cricket Board refuses the initial schedule.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board had earlier turned down Chennai as an option for T20 World Cup 2026 games, though BCB president Aminul Islam signalled that the position might change once the government reviews it, saying, "Since you know that we are not taking decisions alone regarding this World Cup, we will discuss it with the government and we are still where we stood," while speaking to reporters in Sylhet.

The Bangladesh government, which is involved in decisions about the T20 World Cup 2026 schedule, also wants direct talks with the Indian government regarding the security concerns mentioned by the Bangladesh Cricket Board before agreeing to any updated venue plan.

Bangladesh umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat stood in the first ODI between India and New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday, and both Saikat and Gazi Sohel are expected to work as match officials during the T20 World Cup 2026, a situation the ICC may use to counter Bangladesh’s security claims while urging the team to travel.

With the T20 World Cup 2026 fast approaching and logistics already in motion for team arrivals and practice schedules, the ICC is aiming to close the venue issue quickly, keep Bangladesh’s matches in India if possible, and settle on locations acceptable to both cricket boards and governments.