“What next? No shaking hands with Bangladesh players during World T 20 next month?"
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided not to send its senior men’s cricket team to India for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in India, marking a deepening strain in diplomatic ties between the two countries.
According to an ANI report citing The Daily Star, the decision was taken during a BCB directors’ meeting held on Sunday. Additionally, the BCB has requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift Bangladesh’s matches from India to Sri Lanka. An official statement from the BCB is expected shortly.
The move comes in the backdrop of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), co-owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, to drop Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from its Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 squad. The exclusion was confirmed by KKR on Saturday.
KKR issued a statement confirming the development, saying, "Kolkata Knight Riders confirms that BCCI/IPL, as the regulator of IPL, has instructed it to release Mustafizur Rahman from the squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season."
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia also confirmed the decision, stating that the instruction was issued due to “recent developments.”
"Due to the recent developments which is going on all across, BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh from their squad and BCCI has also said that if they ask for any replacement, BCCI is going to allow that replacement," Saikia told ANI.
The latest development follows political backlash in India over the inclusion of the Bangladeshi player in KKR, particularly amid reports of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.
Mustafizur Rahman was bought by the Kolkata-based franchise for a whopping Rs 9.20 crore during the IPL auction held in December last year, ANI reported.
BJP leader Sangeet Singh Som went to the extent of calling Shah Rukh Khan a “traitor” for roping in the Bangladeshi player, citing alleged atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh.
The developments come just days after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reached out to Bangladesh and attended the funeral of former Prime Minister Khalida Zia. Jaishankar had also handed over a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Zia’s son and BNP’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman.
Also Read: “Will Completely Boycott Bangladesh,” Says Shiv Sena (UBT) After BCCI Asks SRK to Drop Bangladeshi Cricketer
Experts have expressed concern that the BCCI’s decision to exclude the Bangladeshi cricketer could undermine India’s foreign policy efforts.
Senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, in a post on social media, expressed concern over the exclusion of the Bangladeshi player, writing, “So BCCI asks KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman from IPL! Who is running a ‘private’ cricket event: BCCI OR GOI? More importantly, who is deciding India’s foreign policy: Hindutva hotheads with no skin in the game or Ministry of External Affairs?”
“Two days ago Dr SJaishankar did much needed reach out to Dhaka, and now this! Cricket and cricketers as always a SOFT TARGET,” he added.
Hinting at possible consequences, Sardesai further wrote, “What next? No shaking hands with Bangladesh players during World T 20 next month? Will possible match-up be played in ‘neutral’ venue? Will shops be asked to stop stocking ‘made in Bangladesh’ clothing? and what of power pacts that private companies like Adani have with Dhaka? And the fact that the former PM Sheikh Hasina has been given refuge in India?”
“Foreign Policy ad-hocism with one eye on state elections (Assam/Bengal) in a turbulent neighbourhood is injurious to a country’s claim to be a leader of the Global South,” he added.
Politician and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also expressed concerns over BCCI's decision.
Recalling my views on the subject, now that @bcci has deplorably pulled the plug on @Mustafiz90. And what if the Bangladeshi player in question had been @LittonOfficial or @soumyasarkar_06? Who are we punishing here: a nation, an individual, his religion? Where will this mindless… https://t.co/KSftpw0YGa
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 3, 2026
Coming back to the ANI report today, it stated that Bangladesh is scheduled to open its T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on February 7 against two-time champions West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
After the West Indies, Bangladesh will face Italy on February 9 at the same venue, then face the 2022 T20 World Cup champions, England, in Kolkata again. After facing England, Bangladesh are scheduled to travel to Mumbai to play Nepal at Wankhede Stadium. The World Cup event will start on February 7 with a match between Pakistan and the Netherlands at Colombo.
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