For the first time in the history of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Bangladesh will not be part of the competition. The International Cricket Council (ICC) officially announced on 24 January 2026 that Scotland would replace the Bangla Tigers in Group C for the tournament co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The decision follows a protracted dispute between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the ICC over the scheduling of matches in India. Babar Azam Funny Memes Go Viral After Star Pakistan Batter Fails in T20 World Cup 2026 Opener Against Netherlands.

Why Bangladesh Is Not Playing?

The withdrawal stems from the BCB’s refusal to allow the national team to travel to India, citing significant security concerns raised by the Bangladeshi government. Bangladesh was originally scheduled to play three of its four group-stage matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai.

In an effort to avoid playing on Indian soil, the BCB requested that the ICC relocate its fixtures to Sri Lanka, the tournament's co-host, or to a neutral venue. However, the ICC rejected this proposal following independent security assessments from both internal and external experts. The governing body stated there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the team and noted that altering the schedule so close to the February start date was not feasible.

Scotland Steps In

With Bangladesh’s exit, Scotland has been called up as the replacement. As the next highest-ranked T20I team not already in the tournament at the time of the deadline, the Scots have taken Bangladesh’s spot in Group C.

Scotland will now face a challenging path against England, the West Indies, Nepal, and Italy. The Scottish squad, which has already arrived in the region to acclimatise, expressed excitement at the opportunity, despite acknowledging the challenging and unique circumstances that led to their inclusion. Today's Cricket Match Live: Check ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule for February 7.

Historical Precedent and Regional Fallout

Bangladesh’s absence marks the end of an era; they had participated in every edition of the T20 World Cup since its inception in 2007. The move has also triggered broader regional tensions.

The Pakistani government recently announced that while their team would participate in the tournament, they would boycott their specific high-profile fixture against India in Sri Lanka as a show of solidarity with Bangladesh. This has left the tournament, which began on 7 February, in a state of diplomatic and sporting flux.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 07, 2026 02:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).