The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided not to send its national team to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, citing security concerns and government advice. This follows the release of pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) instruction.

Although the BCCI did not explicitly link the move to current Indo-Bangladesh relations, it stated that the decision was triggered by “what’s been happening all around.” Rahman’s sudden release prompted the BCB to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday night. After reviewing the situation again on Sunday, the Board decided the team will not travel to India for the tournament starting February 7.

BCB cites security risks for entire team

“The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India,” the BCB said in an official statement.

BCB director Khaled Mashud Pilot elaborated on the security concerns, stating, “If they (India) cannot provide security to one of our players, how will they ensure security of our entire team? That is why we will not go there to play.”

Request to ICC to shift matches

Bangladesh has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate all of its T20 World Cup matches to Sri Lanka, the co-host of the tournament. “Such a step is necessary to safeguard the safety and well-being of Bangladeshi players, team officials, Board members and other stakeholders,” the statement read.

Government advisor Asif Nazrul also supported the move, highlighting the ongoing “violent communal policy” and instructed the board to explain the situation to the ICC. He further suggested that if Bangladeshi players cannot feel safe in India, the national team’s participation is not feasible.

Broadcast concerns and IPL response

Nazrul added that he has requested Bangladesh’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry to consider suspending IPL broadcasts in the country. The KKR franchise, co-owned by Shah Rukh Khan, had released Mustafizur, who was bought for Rs 9.20 crore, following the BCCI’s directive.

Tensions have risen in bilateral relations following the ouster of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India last year amid anti-government protests and was later sentenced in absentia for her alleged role in a crackdown on students.

Former India captain Rohit Sharma has revealed that he seriously considered walking away from cricket after India’s crushing defeat to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, admitting that the loss left him emotionally exhausted and questioning his future in the sport.

Speaking at a Masters Union event, Rohit said the final in Ahmedabad took a heavy toll on him, as he felt the game had “taken everything out” of him. Under his leadership, India had enjoyed a dominant run throughout the tournament, winning nine matches in a row before stumbling at the final hurdle, where Australia sealed the title with a match-winning century from Travis Head.

Rohit said the disappointment was overwhelming, especially given the effort he had invested since taking over the captaincy in 2022. He explained that the setback went far beyond a single match, as the World Cup had been his primary focus for a long period leading into the tournament.

“I felt I had nothing left,” says Rohit

Reflecting on that phase, Rohit said he was completely distraught after the final and felt he did not want to play anymore. He described the period as one of the toughest of his career, noting that it took him months to recover mentally and physically before he could even think about returning to competitive cricket.

According to Rohit, what eventually helped him was reminding himself of his love for the game. He said he slowly regained his energy, accepted the disappointment, and began preparing himself to move forward rather than remain stuck in the pain of the loss.

He also acknowledged that the entire team was deeply affected by the defeat and struggled to process what had happened, given how close they were to achieving their goal on home soil.

Focus shifted to 2024 T20 World Cup

Rohit said the setback taught him a valuable lesson about dealing with failure and resetting quickly. With another global tournament on the horizon, he knew he had to channel his emotions into preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies.

Less than a year after the 2023 heartbreak, Rohit went on to lead India to the T20 World Cup title in the Americas, a moment that helped him overcome the lingering pain of the earlier defeat. He admitted, however, that it was far easier to speak about resilience in hindsight than it was to live through that difficult phase.

Rohit has since retired from T20Is and Tests and was removed from ODI captaincy earlier this year. However, he continues to play the 50-over format and has made it clear that he would like to end his career with one final push at the 2027 ODI World Cup.

India have officially announced their squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 along with the T20I series against New Zealand, with some significant selection calls grabbing attention. The biggest development is the omission of Shubman Gill, who has not only been removed from the vice-captaincy role but also dropped entirely from the Suryakumar Yadav-led side.

The selection panel has opted for continuity in leadership, retaining Suryakumar Yadav as captain, while all-rounder Axar Patel has been appointed as the new vice-captain. The same squad will feature in both the global tournament and the bilateral T20I series against New Zealand.

Axar Patel elevated, Ishan Kishan returns

Axar Patel’s elevation to vice-captain reflects the team management’s trust in his all-round abilities and recent performances. Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has made a return to the national setup, replacing Jitesh Sharma, who has been left out of the squad.

Kishan’s recall follows his impressive outing in domestic cricket, where he played a key role in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, strengthening his case for a comeback in the shortest format.

Rinku Singh and Washington Sundar included

Middle-order batter Rinku Singh has found a place in the squad, adding depth to India’s batting line-up, while Washington Sundar’s inclusion boosts the all-round options available to the team. The bowling attack will be led by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, supported by spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav.

Harshit Rana has also been named in the squad, underlining the selectors’ intent to back emerging pace options.

India squad for T20 World Cup 2026 and New Zealand T20Is

The squad announced for both assignments includes Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Axar Patel (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh.