With less than a month to go before the start of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, uncertainty continues over Bangladesh’s group-stage matches scheduled to be played in India. Bangladesh are slated to play four matches in the group stage — three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai — but the Bangladesh Cricket Board has expressed reservations about touring India, citing security concerns.

The issue gained traction following the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from his IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, on the instructions of the BCCI for undisclosed reasons. Subsequently, the Bangladesh Cricket Board approached the International Cricket Council, seeking a shift of its matches to Sri Lanka, one of the tournament’s hosts.

Amid the developments, reports have suggested that Pakistan has offered to host Bangladesh’s matches if they are moved out of India.

Bangladesh government reacts to venue row

Responding to questions on the possibility of shifting matches to another Indian city, Bangladesh government’s Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul made it clear that the concern is with playing in India, not with specific venues.

“We are talking about India, we are not talking about Kolkata. If the venue is changed from India to Sri Lanka, there is no issue,” Nazrul said on Wednesday. He added that he had seen reports claiming Pakistan had offered to host the matches, though he could not verify their authenticity.

“No problem if Pakistan or UAE host our matches,” Nazrul said, signalling openness to alternative venues outside India.

Claims over ICC security assessment

Nazrul also claimed that the Bangladesh Cricket Board had received a communication from the ICC’s security team, outlining scenarios under which the security threat to the Bangladesh team could increase. According to him, the letter mentioned the inclusion of Mustafizur Rahman in the squad, Bangladeshi supporters wearing national jerseys, and the upcoming national elections as potential risk factors.

Based on this, Nazrul asserted that Bangladesh was not in a position to play its World Cup matches in India.

ICC rejects Bangladesh advisor’s claims

The ICC, however, rejected the interpretation presented by the Bangladesh government official. An ICC source clarified that independent security assessments carried out by internationally recognised experts do not conclude that Bangladesh cannot play its scheduled matches in India.

According to the ICC, the overall security risk for the tournament in India has been assessed as low to moderate, consistent with other major global sporting events. The assessment did not identify any specific or direct threat to the Bangladesh team, officials, or match venues in Kolkata and Mumbai, and found no risks that could not be managed through standard security measures.

For now, the fate of Bangladesh’s group-stage matches remains unresolved, with the ICC yet to announce any changes to the existing schedule.

India registered a hard-fought four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first ODI in Vadodara on Sunday, with KL Rahul holding his nerve in the final overs after Virat Kohli narrowly missed out on a landmark century.

Chasing a target of 301, India appeared firmly in control for most of the innings, led by Kohli’s composed 93 off 91 balls. The former India captain struck eight fours and a six, anchoring the chase before falling seven runs short of what would have been his 85th international hundred.

Kohli’s dismissal triggered a brief collapse, allowing New Zealand back into the contest. However, Rahul remained calm under pressure, scoring an unbeaten 29 off 21 balls. His decisive penultimate over, featuring two boundaries and a six, ensured India crossed the line with six balls to spare.

Earlier, Shubman Gill contributed 56 while Shreyas Iyer looked set for a half-century before being bowled for 49. Harshit Rana also played a crucial cameo, adding 29 off 23 balls at a tense stage of the chase.

Despite disciplined spells from the New Zealand bowlers, India reached 306 for 6 in 49 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

New Zealand innings

Batting first, New Zealand posted a competitive 300 for 8. Daryl Mitchell led the charge with a counter-attacking 84 off 71 balls after early pressure from India’s pace attack. Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway also chipped in with half-centuries to provide stability to the innings.

India’s bowlers managed to pull things back at the death, preventing the visitors from pushing beyond the 300-run mark.

Key milestone and award

During his innings, Kohli became the fastest player to reach 28,000 international runs, achieving the milestone in his 624th innings, surpassing the previous record held by Sachin Tendulkar.

Despite missing out on a century, Kohli was named Player of the Match for his decisive contribution in the chase.

The second ODI of the series will be played on January 14.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru opened their Women’s Premier League 2026 campaign with a dramatic three-wicket win over defending champions Mumbai Indians, riding on a sensational all-round performance from Nadine de Klerk in Navi Mumbai on Friday.

Opting to bowl first, RCB restricted Mumbai Indians to 154 for 6 in 20 overs, with de Klerk emerging as the standout performer. The South African all-rounder returned figures of 4 for 26, repeatedly breaking partnerships and preventing MI from building momentum.

Mumbai had found themselves in early trouble after being reduced to 67 for 4 in the 11th over. Gunalan Kamalini top-scored with 32 at the top, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur made 20. The innings was revived by Sajeevan Sajana, who played a fluent knock of 45 off 25 balls, hitting seven fours and a six. She added 82 runs for the fifth wicket with Nicola Carey, who contributed 40, helping MI post a competitive total.

Lauren Bell and Shreyanka Patil picked up one wicket each for RCB, while the match began with Bell delivering a maiden over that set the tone for the bowling effort.

RCB stumble before de Klerk’s rescue act

Chasing 155, RCB got off to a brisk start through Smriti Mandhana and Grace Harris, who scored 18 and 25 respectively. The opening pair attacked early, but both fell in quick succession, triggering a collapse that saw RCB slip from 47 for 2 to 65 for 5 within a few overs.

Richa Ghosh, Dayalan Hemalatha and Radha Yadav departed cheaply, leaving RCB in deep trouble at 75 for 5 halfway through the chase. With wickets falling around her, de Klerk held firm, finding support briefly from Arundhati Reddy, who scored 20.

Last-over drama seals RCB victory

The match went down to the final over with RCB needing 18 runs and three wickets in hand. De Klerk rose to the occasion, striking a six and a four off the third and fourth deliveries before hammering another six off the penultimate ball. She then drove the final delivery for a four to complete an unbeaten 63 off 44 balls, sealing a memorable win for RCB.

RCB finished on 157 for 7, with Prema Rawat remaining not out on 8. For Mumbai Indians, Nicola Carey and Amelia Kerr claimed two wickets each, while Nat Sciver-Brunt, Shabnim Ismail and Amanjot Kaur took one apiece.

The WPL 2026 season thus began with a high-octane contest, highlighted by Nadine de Klerk’s match-winning performance with both bat and ball.