ICC set to suggest Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram in Bangladesh T20 WC row
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to respond to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)'s request to shift the national side’s T20 World Cup 2026 matches from India between Monday and Tuesday this week, but the governing body is unlikely to accept the demand for a complete relocation to Sri Lanka. Instead, the ICC has suggested Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram as alternate venues to address Bangladesh’s security concerns while keeping the matches in India.
ICC suggests Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram
The BCB cited ‘security concerns’ to file an official request with the ICC to shift their games from India to Sri Lanka. The request was made after Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released by IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders on the suggestion from the BCCI following escalating tensions between the two nations.
However, the ICC is unlikely to accept BCB’s request for a complete shift to Sri Lanka and instead has suggested Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram as alternate venues. Bangladesh are currently scheduled to play their group stage games in Kolkata and Mumbai, but the proposed alternative venues would keep all matches within India while addressing the team’s concerns.
Bangladesh earlier rejected Chennai option
Earlier, Bangladesh rejected Chennai as one of the options, with BCB president Aminul Islam stating that it may not be accepted by their government without further consultation.
“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,” he told reporters in Sylhet.
The Bangladesh government also expects direct communication from the Indian government regarding the security concerns over the upcoming T20 World Cup, adding another layer of complexity to the situation.
Bangladesh umpire officiating in India
Bangladesh umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat officiated during the first ODI encounter between India and New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday. When it comes to the T20 World Cup, Saikat and Gazi Sohel are expected to feature as match officials as well.
It is likely that the ICC can cite the example of Saikat in their response to the ‘security concerns’ part in BCB’s request and ask them to travel to India for the T20 World Cup matches. The presence of Bangladesh officials working safely in India undermines the security concerns cited by the BCB.
Time running out before tournament
Less than four weeks remain for the competition to begin, and the competing teams will be arriving in the first week of February for practice. As a result, the ICC is keen on addressing the issue as soon as possible and finding a solution to the venue row that has been dominating headlines in the past few days.
The T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to begin on February 7, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The delay in resolving Bangladesh’s request could impact the team’s preparation and logistical arrangements, making a swift resolution crucial for all parties involved.