ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland for the T20 World Cup 2026 after the BCB refused to play in India over security concerns. Virat Kohli's coach Rajkumar Sharma backed the ICC's 'absolutely right decision' after the BCB missed a deadline.
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has supported the International Cricket Council's (ICC) decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the T20 World Cup 2026, after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to participate in the tournament per the published match schedule. "When Bangladesh was told that there were no security problems here, and everyone knows that there are no security problems in India, which was the reason they gave, and then the ICC also gave them a warning. The ICC gave them time. But when they didn't agree, then the ICC had to take this decision, and I think it's absolutely the right decision. If you are not listening to your parent body, then I would say this is absolutely the right decision by the ICC," Sharma told ANI.
BCB's Refusal and Security Concerns
The Bangladesh Cricket Board had requested ICC to shift their matches outside India to Sri Lanka, citing "security and safety concerns" for their players. BCB's request came after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had instructed the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur from their squad ahead of the 2026 season, amid violence against minorities in Bangladesh.
ICC, in the absence of any credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team in India, rejected the BCB's demand to move its matches from India to Sri Lanka, in the 20-team tournament to be played from 7 February to 8 March.
ICC's Response and Investigation
The decision follows an extensive process undertaken by the ICC to address concerns raised by the BCB regarding the hosting of its scheduled matches in India. Over a period of more than three weeks, the ICC engaged with the BCB through multiple rounds of dialogue conducted in a transparent and constructive manner, including meetings held both via video conference and in-person, a release said.
As part of this process, the ICC reviewed the concerns cited by the BCB, commissioned and considered independent security assessments from internal and external experts, and shared detailed security and operational plans covering federal and state arrangements, as well as enhanced and escalating security protocols for the event.
These assurances were reiterated at several stages, including during discussions involving the ICC Business Corporation (IBC) Board.
The ICC's assessments concluded that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team, officials or supporters in India. In light of these findings, and after careful consideration of the broader implications, the ICC determined that it was not appropriate to amend the published event schedule. The ICC also noted the importance of preserving the integrity and sanctity of the tournament schedule, safeguarding the interests of all participating teams and fans, and avoiding the establishment of precedents that could undermine the neutrality and fairness of ICC events.
Final Deadline and Replacement
Following its meeting on Wednesday, the IBC Board requested the BCB to confirm, within a 24-hour timeframe, whether Bangladesh would participate in the tournament as scheduled. As no confirmation was received within the stipulated deadline, the ICC proceeded in line with its established governance and qualification processes to identify a replacement team, the release said.
Scotland's Qualification
Scotland are the highest-ranked T20I side not to originally qualify for the tournament. They are currently ranked 14th, ahead of seven teams already in the tournament, Namibia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nepal, the United States of America (USA), Canada, Oman and Italy. (ANI)
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