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Published : 12 Jan 2026, 11:13 PM
The Bangladesh team are not subject to any unusual or serious security risks while playing in India for the 2026 T20 World Cup, according to an ICC assessment shared with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
The review identifies low to moderate risk levels at certain venues, which are part of routine contingency planning, ESPNcricinfo reported citing the game’s global governing body on Monday.
The internal review was communicated last week to the BCB’s security team, according to ESPNcricinfo.
The assessment surfaced following statements on Monday by Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul who cited an ICC letter claiming the national team faced security challenges playing in India.
“We have sent two letters [to the ICC], after which the ICC security team have sent a letter,” Nazrul said.
He outlined three potential risk factors: Mustafizur Rahman’s inclusion in the team, Bangladesh supporters wearing national jerseys in India, and the timing of national elections.
Nazrul argued the assessment implied “there is no situation for the Bangladesh cricket team to play the T20 World Cup in India. If the ICC expects us to make a cricket team without our best bowler, our supporters will not be able to wear the Bangladesh jersey, and we will postpone the Bangladesh elections to play cricket, then there can be no more bizarre, unrealistic and unreasonable expectation than this.”
ESPNcricinfo, however, said the ICC regards Nazrul’s interpretation as a misreading of standard contingency planning. The assessment was intended to highlight hypothetical scenarios, not confirm actual threats.
There is no suggestion in the document that the ICC is imposing conditions on player selection, fan movement, or domestic elections, the report added.
Later, both the BCB and a government official clarified the context.
“The correspondence cited today by the advisor for the Ministry of Youth and Sports was in reference to an internal communication between the BCB and the ICC’s Security Department related to threat assessments for the Bangladesh team ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” the BCB said.
“This does not constitute a formal response from the ICC to the BCB’s request for the relocation of Bangladesh’s matches outside India.”
The BCB confirmed it had formally requested that Bangladesh’s matches be relocated for security reasons and is still awaiting an official reply from the ICC.
Bangladesh are scheduled to play three group matches in Kolkata and a final match in Mumbai.
Tensions arose after the Indian cricket board instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Mustafizur Rahman from its IPL 2026 squad, a decision made without explanation amid deteriorating bilateral relations.
In response, the Bangladesh government banned IPL broadcasts domestically, and the BCB formally requested that its World Cup games be moved out of India.
The 2026 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is set to begin on Feb 7, with all participating teams expected to meet their ICC obligations and fixture commitments.
