Bangladesh will not play its scheduled T20 World Cup matches in India, citing concerns over the treatment of its players and what officials described as an “extreme communal policy” by India’s cricket authorities.
The decision follows the release of Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from his Indian Premier League (IPL) contract with Kolkata Knight Riders. The franchise confirmed on Saturday that it released the player after being advised to do so by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Bangladesh is scheduled to play three T20 World Cup matches in Kolkata next month during the February 7–March 8 tournament, which is co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
“We will not go to India to play the World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has taken this decision today,” said Asif Nazrul, an adviser to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Sports, following an emergency meeting of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Nazrul said the decision was taken “in the context of the extreme communal policy of India’s cricket board,” adding that Bangladesh would not tolerate what it sees as disrespect toward its players or its national cricket team.
“The days of slavery are over,” Nazrul said earlier, vowing that Bangladesh would not accept any insult to its cricketers.
Nazrul said he had instructed the BCB to formally write to the International Cricket Council (ICC), arguing that if a contracted Bangladeshi player cannot play safely in India, the national team cannot feel secure traveling there for the World Cup. He added that Bangladesh would request its World Cup matches be relocated to Sri Lanka.
He also said he would seek to block the broadcasting of the IPL in Bangladesh, asking the country’s information and broadcasting adviser to halt coverage of the tournament.
Kolkata Knight Riders, which is majority-owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, later said Mustafizur’s release was carried out “following due process and consultations.”
BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul told reporters that the dignity and security of Bangladeshi cricketers remain the board’s top priorities and that decisions would be taken with those considerations in mind.
Mustafizur, who has previously played for several IPL teams, was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders at auction in December for more than $1 million. However, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said the franchise had been advised to release the 30-year-old “considering recent developments.”
The cricket dispute unfolds against a backdrop of strained political relations between India and Bangladesh following a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 that toppled then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi. India’s foreign ministry last month condemned what it called persistent hostility against minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, allegations that Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, has rejected as exaggerated.
The ICC has previously accommodated geopolitical tensions in major tournaments. Last year, India was permitted to play Champions Trophy matches in the United Arab Emirates due to strained relations with Pakistan, while Pakistan will play all its T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka under an agreement allowing India and Pakistan to compete at neutral venues in multi-nation events.
On Sunday, cricket news website Cricbuzz reported that the BCB would seek a formal explanation from the BCCI regarding Mustafizur’s release. The ICC and the BCB did not immediately respond to requests for comment.