The inaugural T20 World Cup was held in 2007. Over the subsequent 19 years, by 2026, this tournament took place for the 10th time. However, a historic moment looks to be thwarted even before unfolding... as this could have been the first time a Hindu player led Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup. Unfortunately, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)'s unyielding mindset threatens to dash this player's dream. The current T20 captain is being pushed away from the grandest stage of his career... solely because the team is tethered by the 'insistence' of the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
The dreams of a 31-year-old Hindu star are slipping away due to BCB's rigid stance... This player isn’t just an athlete, but also a devotee of Krishna, as evidenced by his Instagram bio where he refers to himself as ‘Servant of Lord Krishna’. Here, we are talking about Bangladesh T20 team captain
Liton Das
Liton Das was appointed as captain of the Bangladesh team for the T20 World Cup 2026... but due to the biases of the government's sports advisor Asif Nazrul, BCB, and chairman Aminul Islam, his participation in this World Cup seemed doomed. The bigger concern lies ahead: by the next T20 World Cup, Liton will be around 33 years old. At that time, fitness and form will become crucial factors for selection. It is thus uncertain whether he will receive another opportunity to be the T20 captain.
Between 2021 and 2025, Liton Das captained the Bangladesh T20 team 29 times. With 15 wins, 13 losses, and one no-result... his record was strong, and he was set to lead on a world stage for the first time in 2026. It would have been the first instance of a Hindu player steering Bangladesh in a T20 World Cup.
Source: aajtak
The first T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007 saw Bangladesh captained by Mohammed Ashraful. He continued his leadership in 2009. In 2010, the mantle was handed to Shakib Al Hasan, followed by Mushfiqur Rahim taking charge during the 2012 and 2014 T20 World Cups.
In 2016, Mashrafe Mortaza led the team, while in 2021, Mahmudullah became captain. The 2022 T20 World Cup saw Shakib Al Hasan once again at the helm. In contrast, 2024 marked Najmul Hossain Shanto as captain, taking the team to the Super 8 stage.
The situation was clear - Liton Das in 2026 not only had the chance to captain in a T20 World Cup for the first time but also to seize yet another opportunity to make Bangladesh a world champion. T20 is known as a 'game of moments' after all - where any day could be historic. Cricket isn't called the 'game of uncertainties' for nothing.
...Yet under the guise of Pakistan's influence and political-security arguments, BCB's stance damaged both Liton Das's personal career and Bangladeshi cricket. During the ICC board meeting, 14 of the 16 members voted against BCB's demand and rejected the match transfer proposal - only Pakistan and Bangladesh supported it.
In retaliation for the removal of Mustafizur Rahman concerning IPL matters, what began in Dhaka added to both Liton Das's personal setback and Bangladesh cricket's woes.
Explore more: Know more about the farmer-wife of this Bangladeshi cricketer who is immersed in devotion to Krishna.
Source: aajtak
On January 22, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officially announced they did not want to play the T20 World Cup in India and demanded their matches be held in Sri Lanka. Citing security issues, they claimed their players would not be safe in India, thus compelling the venue change. In essence, it was a kind of boycott of playing the World Cup in India.
The implications of this step could eventually bring numerous downsides to BCB, including cuts in revenue shares, impacts on broadcasting rights, and strained future relations with ICC.
Liton Das in the 'fix meeting' expressed he wants World Cup participation.
The player most troubled and uneasy due to this boycott was none other than the Bangladesh T20 team captain Liton Das. On January 22, during that 'fixed meeting', he clearly conveyed to sports advisor Asif Nazrul and BCB chairman Aminul Islam that he wants to play in the World Cup and that the team should head to India. Liton garnered support from several players, including Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, but their views were ignored against the predetermined stance of the board.
The fact was that the protest and demand from players were suppressed. After leaving the meeting, BCB issued a statement that made it seem as though the players were not in favor of participating in the World Cup... while in reality, the most vocal demand to play came from the captain.
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This meeting is termed as ‘fix meeting’ because when ICC rejected BCB’s venue change request on January 21, Dhaka indicated they would consult the players before making a final decision. Yet, there was no sign of players' input impacting the January 22 meeting. It was no consultation but merely a formal announcement of a pre-decided decision.
It later surfaced that sports advisor Asif Nazrul had already made the final decision that the team would not go to India and that boycotting was the sole path. Thus, what was labeled as a ‘consultation’ meeting was, in truth, imposed on players for an already settled decision.
This entire process is set to significantly impact Bangladesh cricket and its players in the forthcoming days - on and off the field.
The players' voices were unheard and simply imposed upon. Asif Nazrul later accused the ICC of not delivering ‘proper justice’. He said neither the ICC nor the Indian government took Bangladesh's concerns seriously. Meanwhile, player disappointment runs so deep that one remarked if we don’t participate, it's our loss, cricket will just end.
BCB chairman Aminul Islam tried to pacify the players, but efforts were in vain. Meanwhile, questions arose about the January 22 meeting with the players.
The question was - were players included in this boycott decision? He responded - we met with the players and explained the government’s stance and the reasons behind the decision. It was a private conversation, and thus, players' exact words won’t be disclosed. However, they seemed to understand the situation. Lucidly, Liton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto spoke otherwise when facing the media.
According to the T20 World Cup schedule, Bangladesh was initially placed in Group C. Their first three matches were scheduled in Kolkata. Subsequently, Bangladesh was to play their final group match against Nepal on February 17 in Mumbai. Instead, Scotland could step in place in their stead.
Bangladesh’s Decision to Not Play T20 World Cup in India
The recent tension between India and Bangladesh became evident when reports surfaced of atrocities against minority Hindus in Bangladesh. This schism also impacted cricket, leading to Kolkata Knight Riders terminating Mustafizur Rahman’s contract and excluding him from IPL 2026. In response, Bangladesh banned IPL broadcasts. Consequently, BCB intensified demands to hold their T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, which ICC did not approve.
BCB's Boycott Officially After January 22 Meeting
Following the official message from ICC on January 21, BCB President met Bangladesh's sports advisor Asif Nazrul. It was decided that on Thursday (January 22), Asif Nazrul would meet with the World Cup squad players before noon. In this meeting, players’ opinions were gathered, leading to the determination they did not want to play the World Cup in India.
