Big ICC Move: Two New Venues Suggested for Bangladesh T20 World Cup Matches

The excitement around the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is rising since the tournament is just a month away. Almost all the teams have announced their squads and have started with the preparations. The venues and the schedules are fixed for all 20 teams taking part in the marquee event.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move their games from India to Sri Lanka due to safety concerns of their players. After weeks of discussions, ICC have suggested two alternative options for the Bangladesh T20 World Cup venue rather than shifting the games from India to Sri Lanka.

Which Two Venues Did ICC Suggest?

The Bangladesh Cricket Board were keen on taking away the matches from India to Sri Lanka after the Mustafizur Rahman row. However, ICC was reluctant to shift the games. Bangladesh T20 World Cup matches were scheduled in Kolkata, India. Now, ICC has given a counter proposal to the Bangladesh Cricket team, mentioning two new venues: Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram. As per reports, ICC contacted both the state associations for a smooth process. The state representatives mentioned that they are eager to host Bangladesh's matches for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Chennai is already hosting seven games with eight pitches intact. Hence, they are open to the idea of hosting Bangladesh's games in the marquee event.

Bangladesh were supposed to play three games in Kolkata and then move to Mumbai to play the next game. But, after the Mustafizur Rahman row, the board formally sent a written letter to the ICC to change their location. BCB mentioned that if BCCI cannot provide security to one player, how will they be able to provide security to the entire squad. Hence, they wanted to shift their games to Sri Lanka. However, on such short notice, reshuffling the venues was not a feasible idea, and ICC didn't extend their support towards the request.

Pakistan Offer to Host Bangladesh's Games

In a recent development, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have written to ICC showing their interest in hosting Bangladesh's games if it cannot be shifted to Sri Lanka. Reports suggest that this has added more seriousness to the issue since ICC doesn't want to move the games on such notice. With the tournament coming up within a month, they will face logistical challenges if the matches are shifted elsewhere. Hence, the matches are unlikely to move to Pakistan or even Sri Lanka.

BCB has two options now: either they agree to play in the new allocated venues or pull out of the tournament, which will cost them points, revenues, and other challenges. Not playing an ICC event for any reason is not a good thing as some of the best T20 teams in the world will be part, and BCB must be aware of the consequences. They are yet to speak on the matter related to the new venues.