Published: 12:39 PM, 13 January 2026
ICC may reject Sri Lanka move, will offer BD southern India venues instead
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is poised to formally respond to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) between Monday and Tuesday regarding the ongoing World Cup venue standoff.
However, reports indicate the global body is unlikely to accept Dhaka's demand to move their matches to Sri Lanka. Instead, the ICC is expected to propose shifting the games to Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram as a compromise. The BCB had officially requested the transfer out of India citing "security concerns," a move triggered by the controversial release of pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad.
Bangladesh is currently scheduled to play their group-stage fixtures in Kolkata and Mumbai-hubs that the board now views as politically sensitive.
This proposed solution faces immediate hurdles. BCB President Aminul Islam has previously signaled that shifting to Chennai may still be unacceptable to the Bangladesh government, which is reportedly waiting for direct communication from the Indian government regarding security assurances.
To counter the "unsafe environment" narrative, the ICC is expected to highlight the presence of Bangladeshi umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat, who successfully officiated the India vs. New Zealand ODI in Vadodara on Sunday without incident. The governing body is likely to use his participation as evidence that Bangladeshi representatives can travel and work safely in India.
With less than four weeks remaining before teams arrive for the tournament, the ICC is pressing for a swift resolution to the current deadlock.
The BCB's security concerns in India stem from the incident on 3 January, when Mustafizur Rahman was withdrawn from the IPL following threats from extremists. Bangladesh questioned how the entire national team, along with journalists, sponsors and spectators travelling for the World Cup, could be kept safe if even one player's security could not be ensured, and therefore requested that matches be moved out of India. According to Cricbuzz, due to logistical challenges ahead of the World Cup starting in the first week of February, the likelihood of the ICC accepting Bangladesh's request appears very low. The ICC may communicate its decision to Bangladesh on Monday.
However, if the ICC proposes or decides on a venue change within India, the BCB is unlikely to accept it. Speaking in Sylhet last Saturday amid rumours of a move to Chennai, BCB president Aminul Islam said: "Another venue in India is still India. As you know, we are not taking this World Cup decision alone. We will consult the government, and we are still where we were before."
