Scotland have replaced Bangladesh in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, following a protracted dispute between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) over playing matches in India.
The decision brings an end to weeks of uncertainty after the ICC set a 24-hour deadline for Bangladesh to confirm their participation under the original schedule. When the BCB failed to comply, the world governing body moved swiftly to safeguard the integrity of the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7.
In a statement released by the ICC, the Board made the difficult decision that it was not feasible to meet the BCB’s requests so close to the tournament.
“The decision follows an extensive process undertaken by the ICC to address concerns raised by the BCB regarding the hosting of its scheduled matches in India,” ICC’s statement reads.
A formal invitation was simultaneously sent to Scotland, who now step in as Bangladesh’s replacement at the marquee event.
The ICC had repeatedly rejected Bangladesh’s request to relocate their group-stage matches out of India, citing independent security assessments that rated the threat level as “low to moderate”. Despite sustained dialogue, the BCB maintained its refusal, backed by Bangladesh’s interim government, which publicly stated the team would not travel to India.
The standoff escalated earlier this month following the IPL snub of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who was released by Kolkata Knight Riders on the Indian board’s directive — an episode that intensified political and sporting tensions between the neighbouring countries.
With Bangladesh refusing to back down, the ICC opted to protect what it described as the “sanctity of World Cup fixtures”, wary of setting a precedent that could allow teams to dictate venues.
Scotland’s inclusion is based on their consistent performances in recent ICC events and their current world ranking of 14. They narrowly missed progression in the 2024 T20 World Cup and memorably defeated both West Indies (2022) and Bangladesh (2021) in past tournaments.
The move places Scotland in Group C, where they will face West Indies, Italy and England in Kolkata, before travelling to Mumbai to play Nepal.
The ICC has yet to issue a formal public statement, but sources say the decision is final, effectively ending Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 and underlining the governing body’s firm stance amid growing geopolitical strains.