Why There is No IPL Telecast in Bangladesh Despite Ministry's U-Turn?

The Bangladesh government took a U-Turn recently and decided to broadcast the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Earlier, they had informed that there would be no broadcasting of the league due to the ongoing political tension between the neighbours.

However, in another twist to these developments, there will be no telecast of IPL in Bangladesh this year. The developments have surprised the fans as things started to come back on track between the BCCI, the richest cricket board in the world, and the BCB.

Why There is No IPL in Bangladesh?

The main reason behind IPL Bangladesh controversy is the termination of the broadcast deal by JioStar, who are the IPL's media rights holder in the region, as reported by Reuters. They have ended their agreement with Bangladeshi broadcaster T Sports after repeated payment failures.

This means that even though the Bangladesh government is ready to allow the IPL broadcasts again, no network can telecast the matches live for the fans. Now, it would be interesting to see if Bangladesh will talk to JioStar to renew the broadcast deal and let the matches go on air before it's too late.

It is to be noted that Bangladesh has a huge fan following for the IPL. It will be a disappointment for them if they do not get to watch the league this season. Being the premier cricket competition, the IPL enjoys huge popularity all over the world.

What is BCCI vs BCB Controversy?

The BCCI vs BCB controversy started after Bangladesh's star pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after they signed him for a whopping price of INR 9.20 Crore. The reason behind his release was the instructions from the BCCI who asked the franchise for his immediate release.

The decision came at a sensitive time as there were political tensions between the two nations after some incidents involving minority communities in Bangladesh.

Just after Mustafizur’s release from the KKR squad, the BCB decided to withdraw from the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and also chose not to telecast the IPL, the biggest cricket league in the world. However, as we know, the IPL delivers massive viewership and significant financial benefits, which prompted the BCB to reconsider its stance. But now, JioStar has emerged as a hurdle in making the IPL telecast in Bangladesh possible.