Rajeev Shukla dismisses Bangladesh’s security claims ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated that India has assured the Bangladeshi cricket team of complete security; however, it was not possible to change the ICC Men's T20 World Cup schedule at this late stage. BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla remarked after the International Cricket Council officially confirmed that Scotland would take Bangladesh's spot in the upcoming event.
On January 24, the ICC announced their decision about Bangladesh’s official withdrawal from the T20 World Cup 2026. Now, Scotland will replace them. The decision was confirmed after the Bangladesh government refused to clear their national team for travel to India. Rajeev Shukla stated that we wanted Bangladesh to play, and we also assured full security, but despite this, they don’t want to travel to India.
“We wanted Bangladesh to play, and we also assured full security, but since they have made this decision, it is very difficult to change the entire schedule at the last moment. This is why Scotland was brought in,” Rajeev Shukla said.
The controversy started when the BCCI ordered IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh’s veteran pacer Mustafizur Rahman for the IPL 2026 season. Following this, the Bangladesh Cricket Board demanded that the ICC shift the venue of their T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. The BCB interpreted the move as an indication that Indian authorities might not be able to guarantee the safety of Bangladeshi nationals.
After that, the ICC and the BCB participated in a lengthy consultation process that ran more than three weeks and involved several rounds of talks. Following this, the ICC ordered independent security evaluations involving both internal and external specialists. Based on the ICC's evaluations, there was no verified or significant security risk to the Bangladeshi national team.
On 23rd January, there was a discussion between ICC and BCB, in which ICC clarified that the Bangladesh cricket team has no place in India. ICC also said that if the Bangladesh team does not come to India even now, then they will replace them with Scotland. The competition will begin in a few days; the schedule and venues cannot be changed. The Bangladesh Cricket Board requested 24 hours from the ICC to discuss this issue with the Bangladeshi government. However, the Bangladeshi government declined to send their cricket team to India.
Well, now, Scotland has been selected as a replacement for Bangladesh, being the highest-ranked T20I side. They failed to get a direct qualification for the event. They suffered an upset against Jersey, which led to their elimination during the European region qualifier. They are now seeding in Group C along with Italy, England, the West Indies, and Nepal. Scotland has also announced their 15-member World Cup squad for the event. They will start their campaign against 2-time champion West Indies on February 07. Following this, they will face Italy on February 09, England on February 14 and Nepal on February 17.
