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.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has sent a second formal communication to the International Cricket Council (ICC), outlining specific security concerns related to travelling to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, according to media reports.

The renewed correspondence comes amid growing internal differences within the BCB over whether Bangladesh should participate in the tournament in India or push for a venue change to Sri Lanka. The global event is scheduled to begin on February 7, with Bangladesh slated to play three matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai.

According to a source close to the board, the latest letter was sent after discussions between the BCB and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul. The ICC had sought clarity on the nature of Bangladesh’s security apprehensions, prompting the board to detail its concerns in the second communication.

However, the contents of the letter have not been made public.

Board divided over travel to India

Media reports indicate that the Bangladesh Cricket Board itself remains split on the issue. One section of the board supports Asif Nazrul’s firm position against travelling to India, while another group prefers continued dialogue with the ICC and Indian authorities.

The latter faction is said to be advocating for enhanced and foolproof security arrangements for the Bangladesh team throughout its stay in India, rather than an outright refusal to participate.

Nazrul, who has previously expressed strong views against India, is believed to have taken a tougher stance than the board’s traditionally cooperative approach with Indian cricket authorities.

Government backs demand for venue change

Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain has meanwhile confirmed that the national team will not travel to India for the World Cup, citing safety concerns. He said the government supports the sports adviser’s demand that Bangladesh’s matches be relocated to Sri Lanka, a co-host of the tournament.

“We will certainly play outside India,” Hossain was quoted as saying, adding that the safety of players and supporters travelling to India must be taken into account.

The standoff follows the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL earlier, after Indian cricket authorities cited unspecified “developments all around.” That decision reportedly came in the backdrop of incidents involving attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.

ICC yet to decide on venue shift

As of now, the ICC has not indicated whether it will move Bangladesh’s matches from Kolkata and Mumbai to Colombo. However, the BCB has maintained that the global body has shown willingness to engage with the board to assess the security concerns raised.

With the tournament approaching, uncertainty continues to surround Bangladesh’s participation in matches scheduled to be held in India.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected Bangladesh’s request to relocate its T20 World Cup 2026 matches from India to Sri Lanka and warned the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) of possible consequences if the national team refuses to travel, sources have confirmed.

The decision was conveyed during a virtual meeting held on Tuesday, where the ICC informed the BCB that the request could not be accepted, citing security-related assessments already in place for the tournament.

ICC warns of forfeiture if Bangladesh does not travel

According to sources, the ICC made it clear that Bangladesh is obligated to play its scheduled matches in India as part of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Failure to comply, the BCB was told, could lead to Bangladesh forfeiting points in the tournament.

No official communication has yet been issued by the ICC, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), or the BCB following the meeting.

World Cup schedule across India and Sri Lanka

The T20 World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. Bangladesh has been placed in Group C and is scheduled to begin its campaign in Kolkata with matches against the West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14.

The team is then set to travel to Mumbai for its final group-stage match against Nepal on February 17.

Row linked to Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL release

The controversy traces back to the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from his IPL contract with Kolkata Knight Riders. The decision followed a directive from the BCCI, which cited the prevailing political situation between India and Bangladesh.

It has been reported that the IPL Governing Council did not hold a formal meeting on the issue and that the instruction was conveyed from the highest level within the BCCI administration.

In response, the BCB banned the telecast of the IPL in Bangladesh this season and subsequently approached the ICC seeking a change in venue for its World Cup matches.

BCB emergency meeting and travel refusal

Following the developments, the BCB convened an emergency meeting of its board of directors to review the situation. In an official release, the board expressed serious concern over the circumstances surrounding Bangladesh’s participation in matches scheduled to be played in India.

The BCB stated that, based on an assessment of the prevailing situation and advice from the Bangladesh government, it had resolved that the national team would not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions.

Despite the BCB’s stance, the ICC has now reaffirmed that Bangladesh must adhere to the existing tournament schedule.