Bangladesh National Cricket Team: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in Group C of the T20 World Cup 2026 following a dispute over match venues. The Bangladesh Cricket Board had requested that their matches be moved out of India, citing security concerns. According to the reports, the ICC rejected the claim, calling the threat “low to moderate,” and voted against changing the tournament schedule earlier this week. The ICC gave Bangladesh 24 hours to reconsider but received another request to relocate matches. With no compliance from the BCB, the ICC invited Scotland to take part.
According to Cricbuzz report, ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta informed the ICC Board that Bangladesh’s refusal left no option but to invite another team. Gupta also sent a formal invitation to Cricket Scotland CEO Trudy Lindblade.
The 2026 T20 World Cup is scheduled to begin Feb. 7 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. If Scotland accepts, they will join Group C alongside England, West Indies, Nepal and Italy. They will face West Indies in Kolkata on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14, before travelling to Mumbai to play Nepal on February 17.
The controversy began after Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released by IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, following which the BCB raised concerns over the safety of its players during the World Cup in India. Despite repeated assurances from the ICC, Bangladesh remained firm on relocating its matches, leading to its reported removal from the competition. The ICC has not yet issued an official public statement confirming the change.
Scotland earned the spot based on their past performances in ICC events and their current No. 14 ranking. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, they finished third in Group B, narrowly missing the Super 12 stage. In 2022, they defeated West Indies in the group stage but again failed to advance. In 2021, Scotland beat Bangladesh in the group stage but went winless in the Super 12.
