The former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has dropped a diplomatic stance on Bangladesh’s demand to shift their matches in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 out of India. They want to play their matches in Sri Lanka, the joint host of the tournament next month.
Harbhajan Singh Reacts to Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 Venue Shift Demand
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move its ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches out of India, raising safety and security concerns.
As the ICC faces a mounting diplomatic and logistical challenge, Harbhajan Singh has emphasized India’s proven track record as a safe and welcoming host for all international teams.
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At the same time, Harbhajan stressed that whether Bangladesh wants to play in India or shift their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches to Sri Lanka is ultimately their choice, and the final call rests with the governing body and BCB itself. However, he slammed the current situation of Hindus in Bangladesh.
The Call Rests with the ICC: Harbhajan Singh
The former World Cup winner also believes that the ICC must take a balanced decision that respects all sides, not through public pressure or emotional reactions, especially with the upcoming showpiece event just weeks away from beginning.
Harbhajan Singh was quoted as saying by ANI, “Due to the various events that have taken place in the past few days, Bangladesh does not want to come to India. Whatever happened in Bangladesh is wrong. ICC needs to make a decision on their request. We welcome everyone to India, but whether they want to come here or not is their choice.”
The heart of the controversy
The BCB moved to ICC after the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) removed Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad on the BCCI’s directive following intense demand from the fans and political leaders in the wake of reported killings and harassment of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.
The situation escalated further when the Bangladesh government announced that the upcoming IPL 2026 broadcasts would be suspended in the country.
Until further notice, IPL matches and related programs will not be telecasted in Bangladesh, showing how serious the situation has become.
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India–Bangladesh tensions rock ICC T20 World Cup as ICC scrambles for Plan B
The ICC has been pushed into urgent action as rising tension between India and Bangladesh threatens to disrupt plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
It is being said that the ICC has started working on a backup schedule after the BCB officially asked for its matches to be shifted out of India.
Bangladesh have requested that their games be moved to Sri Lanka, citing growing concerns over safety and security as relations between the two countries continue to worsen.
The request has put the ICC in a tight spot, as the tournament is set to begin on February 7, leaving very little time to reshuffle venues, logistics, teams’ travel plans, and broadcast arrangements. Now, all eyes are on the ICC’s next move.
