Ireland Reject Group Swap as Bangladesh Ask ICC to Move T20 World Cup Matches

Bangladesh’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has taken another turn after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) made a new request to the International Cricket Council (ICC). During a meeting with ICC officials, the BCB asked whether Bangladesh’s group could be swapped with Ireland's group so that they could play all their matches in Sri Lanka instead of India.

All this controversy started when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Bangladesh Pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the squad amid pressure from people over the killing of Hindus in Bangladesh. In reaction, Bangladesh demanded a venue change outside India for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 due to security reasons.

However, ICC strictly told the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that the T20 World Cup 2026 is going to be played on a scheduled date and there will be no changes in the schedule. Therefore, meetings are happening between ICC and BCB to fix this issue without any disturbance in the tournament.

Bangladesh’s new request to ICC:

Bangladesh is currently placed in Group C of the T20 World Cup 2026 alongside the West Indies, England, Italy, and Nepal. As per the official schedule, Bangladesh is expected to play its T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage matches in Kolkata and Mumbai.

The BCB has repeatedly expressed concerns about travelling to India for the tournament. In the recent meeting, the Board suggested swapping groups with Ireland. This will allow Bangladesh to play their matches in Sri Lanka, where Ireland’s Group B fixtures are scheduled.

Official Statement by BCB:

“During the discussions, the BCB reiterated its formal request to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka. The Board also shared the Bangladesh Govenment’s views and concerns regarding the safety and security of the team , fans, media and other stakeholders.”

Ireland’s clear response:

Cricket Ireland responded to this statement and ruled out any change to their schedule. As per the Cricbuzz report, Cricket Ireland (CI) officials confirmed that they have received firm assurances from ICC that their World Cup matches will be played as scheduled and will remain unchanged.

As per Cricbuzz, the CI official said, “We’ve received definitive assurances that we won’t move from the original schedule. We are definitely playing the group stage in Sri Lanka.”

The discussions between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and ICC are still on, and no final decision has been issued on Bangladesh’s request. As per the reports, it is expected that Bangladesh will play its matches in Southern India, and if they still refuse, then its points will automatically be distributed among the other teams in the group.

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