The International Cricket Council (ICC) headed by Jay Shah has shocked the entire cricket world and made a bold call to remove Bangladesh from the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026.
However, Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma publicly supported the move.
ICC drops Bangladesh from T20 World Cup 2026 after security standoff, drafts Scotland
The ICC on January 24 included Scotland in Group C after Bangladesh refused to play its T20 World Cup 2026 matches in India due to security concerns despite repeated assurances. The controversy started when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad on the orders of BCCI.
The BCCI made the call after reports of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh made news, leading to the board facing anger from fans and politicians. Soon after, Bangladesh banned IPL 2026 in the country, and then the BCB formally requested the ICC to shift its T20 World Cup 2026 matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns.
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However, after examining everything in detail, the ICC found no real security threat and ultimately decided to proceed without Bangladesh after they refused to play the T20 World Cup in India. Reacting to the controversy, Rajkumar Sharma supported the ICC’s decision and slammed Bangladesh for their stubbornness.
Virat Kohli’s childhood coach supports ICC, blames Bangladesh for refusing cooperation
Virat Kohli’s childhood coach revealed that Bangladesh had been informed several times that there were no security issues in India, and everyone knows that India regularly hosts major events without any security issues, so the ICC was left with no option but to take a tough decision.
ANI quoted Rajkumar Sharma as saying, “When Bangladesh were told that there is no security problem here, and everyone knows that there is no security problem in India, that’s why they told, then the ICC also warned them. The ICC gave them time. But when they did not agree, the ICC had to take this decision, and I think it is absolutely the right decision. If you are not listening to your parent body, then I would say that this is the absolutely right decision of the ICC.”
ICC explains Bangladesh’s decision to pull out of T20 World Cup
According to the official media release, the ICC carried out a lengthy and detailed consultation process that lasted more than three weeks. During this period, many online and personal meetings were held with BCB. The governing body also commissioned independent safety reports from internal and external experts.
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He shared full security and operational plans with Bangladesh, including arrangements made by central and state authorities and additional security steps planned for the T20 World Cup. The ICC reiterated the assurance several times, even during meetings involving the ICC Business Corporation Board.
After reviewing all the information, the global body concluded that there is no proven or credible threat to Bangladesh players, officials or fans in India. The ICC made it clear that accepting Bangladesh’s demand without any solid reason could harm the fairness of future tournaments and set a bad precedent.
Then, the BCB did not communicate their decision to the ICC within the deadline, forcing them to invite Scotland in place of Bangladesh for the T20 World Cup.
