Bangaldesh not to play T20 World Cup 2026? Shocking report emerges amid venue controversy

The upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is all set to kick off on February 7. Ahead of ICC's elite tournament, the venue controversy around the Bangladesh cricket team remains. On Monday, a fresh report regarding their probable T20 WC venue has emerged. According to a report by Cricbuzz, Bangladesh games are unlikely to be moved to Sri Lanka.

The option of moving Bangladesh's games to Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram is being explored. The venue controversy sparked as the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) restricts Bangladeshi star pacer Mustafizur Rahman from taking part in the IPL 2026 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). After the BCCI instruction, KKR released the pacer whom they bought from the IPL 2026 mini auction for a price tag of more than INR 9 crore.

After the BCCI decision on Rahman, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC), requesting their World Cup matches to be moved out of India, citing security concerns. As Sri Lanka is the co-host of the tournament along with India, there were speculations to shift the Bangladesh matches from India to Sri Lanka. In the group stages of the T20 WC, Bangladesh is scheduled to play in Eden Gardens, Kolkata, which is now uncertain.

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Latest updates on Bangladesh cricket team venues in T20 World Cup 2026

According to the latest media report, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram have been cited as two new potential venues where Bangladesh could play their matches. The Cricbuzz report further stated that officials of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and Kerala Cricket Association have expressed their interest in hosting Bangladesh for the World Cup games.

According to the current schedule, Bangladesh is scheduled to play three games – against the West Indies (February 7), against Italy (February 9), and against England (February 14) in Kolkata, before shifting their camp to Mumbai to face Nepal on February 17. As of now, it is hard to see Bangladesh T20 WC 2026 matches outside of India.