BCB Rejects India Venues for T20 WC 2026 Amid Safety Fears; Jay Shah Holds Crisis Talks as PCB Offers Pakistani Venues
The Pakistan Cricket Board has proposed hosting Bangladesh’s matches in the 2026 T20 World Cup after Bangladesh refused to play in India for security reasons.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) January 11: The BCB had requested the ICC to move Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches out of India. It was driven primarily by safety concerns, with its leaders demanding a better deal.
The T20 World Cup is to be held between February 7 and March 8, 2026. India and Sri Lanka have agreed to co-host games, with India venues including Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Ahmedabad.
Jay Shah's Urgent Vadodara Talks Aim to Defuse WC Standoff
Jay Shah, chair of the BCCI, wants to have important talks on Sunday with BCCI officials in Vadodara to overcome the tension that has been running between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the BCCI regarding the T20 World Cup 2026. Shah will stand on the sidelines for the first India - New Zealand ODI as a special guest of the Baroda Cricket Association.
Cricket boards, it’s believed, are yet to make a final decision about whether Bangladesh’s matches shall be relocated and talks appear to be ongoing. The ICC probably won’t alter the timetable.
PCB Steps In: Offers for Bangladesh's WC Matches
The PCB reportedly offered to host Bangladesh’s matches in the next T20 World Cup, despite the Bangladesh Cricket Board‘s refusal to host their matches in India due to security concerns.
The PCB has also offered venues such as Karachi and Rawalpindi as alternatives if the venues are not available or feasible in Sri Lanka.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board originally wanted a change of location with the suggestion that Sri Lanka should be an alternative to India, and made further clarifications in a number of its subsequent communications.
BCB's Firm Stand: No Indian Venue Will Do
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul confirmed the board is still waiting for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to respond to its concerns over playing T20 World Cup matches at venues in India and reiterated the board’s stance regarding the matter has remained unchanged.
The BCB stated its concerns in writing to the ICC regarding venues. Moving games to different Indian cities will not resolve the BCB's concerns.
"Any alternate Indian venue at the end of the day is an Indian venue. You all know that no unilateral decision can be taken and we have to abide by the government's diktat. We are standing where we had been a few days back" he said.
Roots of India-Bangladesh Cricket Rift
The move follows an ongoing fight between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the BCB over Bangladesh's T20 World Cup fixtures. For various reasons primarily stemming from safety, Bangladesh has been unwilling to play cricket in India. They have sent repeated letters to the ICC requesting that the ICC move the host venues for T20 World Cup matches out of India.
The chain of events started when the BCCI requested that the Kolkata Knight Riders release Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL 2026 squad for unknown reasons.
Most think the move reflected political pressure, amid the ongoing situation of India-Bangladesh confrontation with attacks on Hindus in the neighbouring country.
