'Are you sure we...' - Litton Das' reply to reporter leaves everyone stunned amid T20 World Cup participation issue

Amidst the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League, Bangladesh T20 captain Litton Das was asked about how his country has been preparing for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (to take place in 2026), and answered in a very frank manner that left many at the press conference with more questions than answers. Litton said that although he is the captain of the team, he also does not know if they will go to India for the T20 World Cup in 2026, illustrating the lack of definite plans for the country.

Litton further added that the BPL conditions are not good enough for preparing for a tournament like the T20 World Cup, and pointed out that the conditions of the pitches are different from what will be experienced at the World Cup which will feature a total of twenty teams and start on February 7, 2026, in India and Sri Lanka.

"Are you sure we are going to play in the World Cup? In fact, there is still a long time to go before the World Cup, and we are not even certain whether we will go at all. This is by no means an ideal wicket for T20 cricket. We had expected a much better wicket for a qualifier match,” Litton told as quoted saying on The Daily Star.

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Bangladesh government imposed a ban on the broadcast of the IPL

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and International Cricket Council (ICC) have held ongoing negotiations about relocating the T20 World Cup matches to another location other than India due to the increase in tensions across borders between the two countries, which has created doubt about Bangladesh’s ability to participate in the event. Despite attempts made by the ICC to persuade the BCB to maintain plans for an Indian location to play, thus far, BCB has remained steadfast not to change its decision for moving the matches.

As per the current schedule, Bangladesh is scheduled to play three of their four league games in Kolkata, India, and play the last game at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India. After receiving confirmation from BCCI that they had prevented Mustafizur Rahman from playing in IPL based on the new developments concerning bilateral relationships between their countries, BCB asked that they revise the itinerary of the matches to be moved out of India.

In response, the Bangladesh government imposed a ban on the broadcast of the IPL within the country and reiterated its position against touring India for the global tournament. These moves further escalated the standoff, placing the ICC in a challenging position as it tries to find a workable solution. A final decision on Bangladesh’s participation and venue arrangements for the T20 World Cup is expected on Wednesday, January 21, leaving barely two weeks before the tournament gets underway.