The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to confirm its participation in next month’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) kept the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on standby for the event. The PCB chief, Mohsin Naqvi, claimed that he met the PM Shahbaz Sharif and would take the final call on either January 30 or February 02.

Pakistan is unlikely to boycott the entire tournament, with the knowledge that the ICC may then replace them with Bangladesh. But the PCB has also reportedly thought of forfeiting the mouth-watering clash against India on February 15 at the R Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Meanwhile, Scotland has already replaced Bangladesh officially in the competition.

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“If Pakistan decides to withdraw, Bangladesh would be allowed to replace them in Group A and play all their matches in Sri Lanka as per BCB’s original request. This arrangement would pose limited logistical challenges.” The reports were added as per the officials.

ICC keeps Bangladesh as standby for T20 World Cup 2026

Pakistan is scheduled to open its campaign against the Netherlands on February 07 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo before locking horns with the United States of America at the same ground on February 07. Post their third group-stage encounter against India, they will travel back to the Sinhalese Club on February 18 against Namibia.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, wrote two letters to the ICC in a request to relocate their venues due to security concerns. They were expected to play their group-stage clash against West Indies, England, and Italy at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata before making a trip to Wankhede Stadium against Nepal.

If Bangladesh goes on to replace Pakistan, then the former’s issue will be resolved. They can play all of their games in Sri Lanka, which was their request at the primary stage of the entire discussion. Subsequently, both Pakistan and Bangladesh have announced their respective 15-member squad for the world event.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president, Aminul Islam, has accused the ICC of double standards in pointing out that the governing bodies helped on their request to play the Champions Trophy 2025 matches in the UAE instead of Pakistan. However, the ICC refused to move Bangladesh’s matches in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 from India to Sri Lanka. 

Bangladesh’s position is that they do not want to travel to India due to security concerns. They are scheduled to play three group stage games at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata against West Indies, England, and Italy before traveling to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai for the last group-stage game against Nepal.

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“The ICC tried to tell us about incidents in 1996 and 2003, but we pointed out their recent steps in a similar matter. When a country refused to travel to another country for the Champions Trophy last February, the ICC organised a neutral venue for them. The team played all their Champions Trophy matches in that neutral venue. They played in one ground, staying in one hotel. It was a privilege.” Islam expressed. 

Bangladesh advisor points out ICC's double standards 

Aminul expressed his wish to continue to communicate with the ICC on the issue of Bangladesh’s venue and participation in the World Cup. In case they keep boycotting the tournament, Scotland will qualify for the World Cup.

“We are calling Sri Lanka co-hosts, but they are not co-hosts. Sri Lanka is part of the hybrid model, where one country is going to play. We indicated to the ICC that since our government is reluctant (to let us play in India), we want to take that option. Still, they denied our request. We will communicate with the ICC today. We are ready to play the World Cup in Sri Lanka. We don't want to play in India.” Animul shed light. 

“We are proud of Bangladesh cricket, but we are doubtful about world cricket. When cricket's popularity is in decline, the ICC is denying a cricket-loving country of 200 million people. Cricket is going to the Olympics in 2028. India is bidding for the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, but it will be a failure if such a country (Bangladesh) is not going to the World Cup. We are not giving up on playing the World Cup.” He concluded. 

The upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 is due to begin on February 07 with the Eden Gardens in Kolkata set to host its first game of the competition in the afternoon between West Indies and Bangladesh, even though the latter's participation remains a mystery due to the ongoing political situation.

The venue will host several games in the tournament, including the potential game for the Indian side if they qualify for the second stage of the event. The ground notably hosted the famous final of the T20 World Cup 2016 between England and West Indies, when the two-time champions hosted the competition last time.

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Just two weeks ahead of the curtain raiser of the tournament, the International Cricket Council (ICC) security members reached Kolkata to assess and get a final picture of the Eden Gardens' security arrangements for the World Cup 2026. The ground is scheduled to host the first semifinal of the event if Pakistan fails to qualify for the mentioned clash.

ICC security arrives in Kolkata for T20 World Cup 2026 preparation

Most teams have begun their last-minute preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup, with the co-hosts, the Indian side, facing New Zealand in a home five-match T20I series, while Sri Lanka is hosting England in three T20Is. After the three T20Is against Afghanistan, the West Indies will fly to South Africa for the same number of games of the shortest format.

Australia and Pakistan would be facing each other in the T20I series. However, there will be discussions on Pakistan's participation in the World Cup as the PCB wrote a letter to the ICC on refusing to play the World Cup if they don’t solve the issues of the BCB, which now seems to be the wrong decision.

Pakistan is not scheduled to travel to India, as they will play all of their group matches in Sri Lanka after the mutual agreement with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to play their games in neutral venues.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) formally sent a second letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on January 8, which highlights their specific security concerns regarding their travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which is going to begin in less than a month. They have requested a change of venue to Sri Lanka, which will co-host the tournament.

Bangladesh is currently scheduled to play three group-stage games at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata against England, West Indies, and Italy before they make their way to the iconic Wonka Stadium in Mumbai for the last group-stage encounter against Nepal. However, they have refused to travel to India after their left-arm pacer, Mustafizur Rahman, was released from the IPL following the instructions of the BCCI.

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“Following discussions with sports ministry advisor Asif Nazrul, the BCB has once again sent a communication to the ICC. The ICC wanted to know areas of security concern, and BCB has cited them.” The BCB source expressed the conditions as the reports suggested.

BCB again requests T20 World Cup 2026 venue relocation

The discussion has come amid the ongoing situation between the BCB and the ICC regarding Bangladesh’s participation in the world event, as the global body has maintained silence and asked for the exact nature of the clarity on the security concerns flagged by the Dhaka-based board. Mustafizur’s release followed incidents involving attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.

"In its communication, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament. The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and has assured that the Board's inputs will be welcomed.” The BCB revealed.

There is one section of the board which Asif Nazrul headlined, stance of not playing the World Cup in India, while others keep the discussion with the ICC and the Indian authorities. Nonetheless, it will be a nightmare for the global body to fully relocate four group-stage games, along with the Super 8 clashes of Bangladesh from India to Sri Lanka in less than four weeks.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has expressed the words of ICC’s ‘willingness to work closely’ with the board as they ensure ‘full participation’ of the team in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. The BCB issued a statement calling for a call with the ICC to discuss Bangladesh’s refusal to play the group games of the World Event in India.

The issue has occurred due to security reasons after the BCCI instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release their left-arm pacer, Mustafizur Rahman, due to the ongoing political situation. The statement didn’t mention whether Bangladesh would play in India or not.

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“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has received a response from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the Board's expressed concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team in India for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, including the request for relocation of the team's matches.” The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) expressed in a statement.

BCB reacts to ICC on T20 World Cup 2026 venues in India

Bangladesh are scheduled to play three group games of the competition at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata against the West Indies, England, and Italy before moving to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai for the final game against Nepal, under the leadership of Litton Das.

Latest from @BCBtigers. Nol ultimatum#Cricket pic.twitter.com/DT0qgDoJV0

— Kushan Sarkar (@kushansarkar) January 7, 2026

"In its communication, the ICC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the full and uninterrupted participation of the Bangladesh team in the tournament. The ICC has conveyed its willingness to work closely with the BCB to address the concerns raised and has assured that the Board's inputs will be welcomed and duly considered as part of the detailed security planning for the event.” The BCB addressed.

“The BCB has also taken note of certain reports published in a section of the media suggesting that the Board has been issued an ultimatum in this regard. The BCB categorically states that such claims are completely false, unfounded, and do not reflect the nature or content of the communication received from the ICC.” The board reflected.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected the call of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over travelling to India to participate in the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The reports have claimed that, through a virtual call, the ICC has told the BCB that they had rejected the board’s request to play their games outside India due to security reasons.

The ICC also addressed Bangladesh that they would need to ravel to India for the World Cup or risk forfeiting points. The BCB, however, has claimed that no such decision has been taken by the governing body. There hasn’t been any official news by either BCCI or the BCB on the outcome of the call, which was arranged only to solve the issue.

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The development has come nearly a month before the beginning of the 20-team competition in India and Sri Lanka from February 07, which ends on March 08. Bangladesh, under the leadership of Litton Das, are placed in Group C and are scheduled to play their first three games at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

BCB asked to play all T20 World Cup 2026 games in India

Bangladesh will begin their campaign on February 07 against West Indies before locking horns with Nepal a day later. On February 14, they will be up against England at the same venue before moving to the iconic Wankhede Stadium for their final group-stage encounter against Nepal on February 17.

The BCB’s decision to write to the ICC has been triggered after the BCCI instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders to release their Bangladesh left-arm pacer, Mustafizur Rahman, ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, as the latter was bought for a massive price of INR 9.2 crore during the IPL 2026 auction last December. The decision was notified to media by the BCCI secretary, Devajit Saikia.

Saikia didn’t mention the reason behind KKR being asked to release Mustafizur, who was the lone Bangladesh player bought at the IPL 2026 auction. It has been revealed that the IPL governing council never discussed the situation, as question remains on the main decision maker of the situation.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed the rating for the recently concluded Boxing Day Test between Australia and England in the Ashes 2025-26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which was a highly controversial Test that ended in two days.

It was the fourth game of the five-match Test series in the Ashes 2025-26, which Australia started with a 3-0 lead, as they already secured the Ashes trophy. While the MCG Test experienced 20 wickets falling on the opening day, the next day had the result of England’s victory by four wickets after the fall of 16 wickets. 

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Ashes 2025-26, 4th Test: MCG pitch receives “unsatisfactory” mark

The MCG pitch was too pacer-friendly, as there wasn’t a single delivery from the spinner. Even the MCG curator Matt Page was also shocked by the pitch result. Observing the entire situation, the ICC match referee for the game, Jeff Crowe, has marked the pitch “unsatisfactory” – the third rank among the four-ranked pitch rating system. 

The “unsatisfactory” pitch rating comes when the pitch "does not allow an even contest between bat and ball… by favouring the bowlers too much, with too many wicket-taking opportunities for either seam or spin".

The match referee Jeff Crowe called the pitch “too much in favour of the bowlers”, as it earned one demerit point due to getting an “unsatisfactory” rating.

Crowe stated, "The MCG pitch was too much in favour of the bowlers. With 20 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second day and no batter even reaching a half-century, the pitch was 'unsatisfactory' as per the guidelines and the venue gets one demerit point."

However, in the previous three Boxing Day Tests, the MCG received the “very good” rating for those pitches, as the latest demerit point is unlikely to affect the MCG.

Earlier, the Perth Test of the series, which was the five-match series opener, also ended in two days. However, that pitch received the “very good” rating.

We were disappointed for the fans: CA chief of cricket

Cricket Australia (CA) chief of cricket, James Allsopp, recently spoke about the disappointment of bringing hopeless events for the fans due to very early finishes of the exciting Test matches of the series, while many fans were holding tickets for the third and fourth days. 

Allsopp stated, "We were disappointed for the fans holding tickets for days three and four, and also the millions of fans excited to watch the action in Australia and around the world, that the pitch did not provide the MCG's customary balance between bat and ball.”

However, Allsopp is hopeful to bring a better and more satisfying experience to the fans in the upcoming future Tests at the MCG, as the venue will also host the 2026 Boxing Day Test against New Zealand, and the 150th Anniversary Test against England in March 2027. 

The CA chief of cricket added, "We appreciate the outstanding work the MCC staff have done over recent years producing excellent Test match pitches. We're confident they will deliver first-rate surfaces for next year's Boxing Day Test against New Zealand and the hugely anticipated 150th Anniversary Test against England in March 2027."

Bhutan’s Sonam Yeshey made history by achieving a feat never seen before in T20 cricket. The 22-year-old left-arm spinner became the first bowler, in men’s or women’s cricket, international or domestic, to take eight wickets in a single T20 match. His historic performance came during the third T20I against Myanmar in Gelephu.

The match was one-sided. Bhutan scored 127 for 9, and Myanmar was bowled out for just 45 runs in 9.2 overs. Yeshey was the star of the match, taking 8 wickets for only 7 runs in his four overs. Before this, the best bowling figures in men’s T20Is were 7 wickets, achieved by Malaysia’s Syazrul Idrus and Bahrain’s Ali Dawood. In women’s T20Is, Indonesia’s Rohmalia held the record with 7 for 0.

Yeshey’s incredible performance helped Bhutan win the match by 82 runs.

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𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄!🌍🇧🇹 𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏’𝒔 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒎 𝒀𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑳𝑫 𝑹𝑬𝑪𝑶𝑹𝑫 𝒃𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍! The left-arm orthodox magician claimed 8/7 in 4 overs against Myanmar today. @ICC pic.twitter.com/OtOZofj75n

— BhutanCricketOfficial🇧🇹 (@BhutanCricket) December 26, 2025

Yeshey’s Historic Performance Against Myanmar

Yeshey ran through Myanmar’s batting lineup after the hosts lost early wickets in the power play. Although Pyae Phyo Wai scored 10 off 11 balls, any hope of recovery was ended by Yeshey’s relentless bowling. He took seven of the last eight wickets, including a maiden over, and conceded only seven runs in four overs.

Making his T20I debut in July 2022 against Malaysia, Yeshey impressed immediately with figures of 3 for 16. Over the years, wickets came more steadily, and this historic spell has taken his tally to 37 wickets in 34 T20Is. In the ongoing series, Yeshey has led the bowling charts with 12 wickets in four matches, with one game remaining.

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Breaking Records in Men’s and Women’s T20Is

Before Yeshey, the best bowling figures in men’s T20Is were seven wickets, achieved by Malaysia’s Syazrul Idrus (7/8) and Bahrain’s Ali Dawood (7/19). In women’s T20Is, Indonesia’s Rohmalia held the record with 7/0. Other notable seven-wicket hauls in men’s and women’s T20 matches include performances by Colin Ackermann, Taskin Ahmed, Frederique Overdijk, Alison Stocks, and Samanthi Dunukedeniya.

With his eight-wicket haul, Yeshey has surpassed all these records, becoming the first player in T20 cricket, men’s or women’s, to take eight wickets in a single match. His performance has firmly established him as a key player for Bhutan in T20 cricket.

The excitement has been high for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which will return to be hosted in India after 10 years since the 2016 edition, when the hosts finished in the semifinal losing to West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This time, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side is the defending champions.

Tickets for the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka will go on sale at 18:45 IST on December 11, with the event stated to begin on February 07 in India and Sri Lanka. The prices for phase one of the ticket sales start at INR 100 at some venues in India and LRK 1000, as the ICC released in a statement.

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“Phase I of ticket sales is an important milestone in our journey towards delivering the most accessible and global ICC event ever staged. Our vision for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 is clear: every fan, regardless of background, geography, or financial means, should have the chance to access an in-stadia experience of world-class marquee cricket.” The ICC CEO, Sanjog Gupta, expressed.

Know ticket price of T20 World Cup 2026

The event will be contested by 20 teams and comprises 55 matches. The games begin at 11 in the morning, 3 in the afternoon, and 7 in the evening. The format remains the same as the 2024 edition, with the teams being divided into five groups of four each.

“With tickets starting from just INR 100 and LKR1000, we are putting affordability at the centre of our strategy. This is about opening the gates wide and inviting millions to be part of a global celebration of cricket, not as spectators from afar, but as active participants in the energy, emotion, and magic that only a stadium can offer.” Gupta highlighted.

Each team will play the other three teams in the Super Eight Group, with the top two from each group making it to the semifinals. The semifinals will take place in Kolkata or Colombo, if Pakistan qualifies, on March 04, and in Mumbai on March 05. The final will be held on March 08 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad or in Colombo.

Ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, JioStar has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it wants to end the three-year media rights agreement because of financial losses, as the reports of the Economic Times have claimed. It has also been reported that the Reliance Industries-controlled JioStar has told ICC about the decision.

The JioStar informed that they can’t continue for the remaining two years for a price of $3-billion contract, which ends in 2027, which has left the International Cricket Council (ICC) to look for other media partners. The report has also shed light on how the ICC has approached other platforms, including the Sony Sports Network, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.

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The report also noted that the ICC has begun a fresh process for the 2026-2029 period for approximately INR 2.4 billion. The Reliance Industries latest annual report, JioStar, the Reliance-Disney joint venture, has also given its verdict on the contracts, leaping to a staggering INR 25760 crore in FY 2024-25, more than double the INR 12319 crore set aside just a year earlier.

ICC searches for new media partner as JioStar decides to exit ahead of new cycle

The jump is rooted in the company’s admission that the revenue from the long-duration rights deals may then fall short of covering their costs. Even with the hefty financial buffer, the broadcaster clocked a skinny profit of INR 18 crore, which has made a cautious rebound from the INR 12548 crore less reported in FY 2023-24.

The advertising, subscriptions, and syndication helped the revenues climb to INR 21044 crore from INR 20097 crore, and the operating costs remained steep at INR 17826 crore. As per the reports, the JioStar has commanded an estimated 34% share in television entertainment and over 85% in sports viewership.

Star made a renegotiation of its contract for the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, held in the United States of America and the West Indies, to promote the game in the new regions, but that grasped a very few Indian viewers due to the match timings.