Dhaka (Bangladesh), January 7: The Indian presenter Ridhima Pathak has reacted after reports suggested that she has been removed from the presentation panel of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Bangladesh's local media reported on Wednesday, quoting sources in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that Ridhima was dropped from the list. She was scheduled to host the Dhaka edition of this year's BPL, but she was dropped from the presentation team before arriving in Bangladesh. The current edition of the BPL began in Sylhet. ICC Rejects Bangladesh's Request to Shift Their T20 World Cup 2026 Matches from India Amid Political Tensions.

The BPL authorities also introduced significant new elements to the presentation and commentary panels this season. Pakistani presenter Zainab Abbas arrived in Bangladesh, along with renowned commentators such as Waqar Younis, Ramiz Raja, and Darren Gough. Ridhima was scheduled to join them, but she will no longer attend.

However, taking to Instagram Ridhima claimed that she was not dropped in fact it was her personal decision. "Truth matters. In the last few hours, there's been a narrative suggesting I was "dropped" from the BPL. That is not true. I made a personal decision to opt out. For me, my nation comes first—always. And I value the game of cricket far beyond any single assignment," Ridhima wrote.

"I've been privileged to serve this sport for years with honesty, respect, and passion. That won't change. I'll continue to stand for integrity, for clarity, and for the spirit of the game. Thank you to everyone who reached out with support. Your messages mean more than you know. Cricket deserves truth. Period. No further comments from my side," she added.

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The development comes after the Bangladesh government, on January 5, decided to suspend the broadcast of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 matches in the country following the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asking Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad. Mustafizur Rahman Unlikely To Receive Any Financial Compensation Following Release From KKR's IPL 2026 Squad Due to Political Tension.

The IPL gets underway on March 26. This development follows the announcement by the KKR that they had removed Bangladeshi player Rahman from their IPL 2026 roster in response to a directive from the BCCI regarding atrocities committed against minorities in Bangladesh.

"Under these circumstances, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has informed through an official letter that, until further notice, all IPL matches and related programs will remain suspended from broadcast/telecast in Bangladesh", the Press Information Department (PID) said in a statement on Monday.

Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected the BCB's request to shift their matches from India to Sri Lanka for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, according to ESPNcricinfo.

The report said a virtual call on Tuesday took place between the ICC and BCB, during which the ICC informed the Board that it was rejecting the latter's request to shift Bangladesh's matches outside India due to security concerns.

The report further added that the ICC have told the BCB that their senior men's national cricket team will need to travel to India to play their T20 World Cup matches or risk forfeiting points.

It is to be noted that there has been no official statement issued by BCB or ICC on the outcome of Tuesday's call, which was arranged after BCB wrote in on Sunday, asking to consider moving Bangladesh's matches to Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup 2026, as per ESPNcricinfo.

(With inputs from ANI)

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