Bangladesh has opted out of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India. The major conundrum now is which team will replace them in the tournament.
Current anomalies suggest that Scotland might step up to the crease when the World Cup kicks off on February 7. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has not made any official pronouncements as yet.
How, you might wonder, could Scotland find themselves playing in the T20 World Cup? Previously, Scotland had failed to qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
In the European Qualifier, Scotland trailed behind the Netherlands, Italy, and Jersey. With Bangladesh out, ICC could directly grant Scotland a place, although this hasn't been officially confirmed yet.
Read More: Bangladesh boycotts T20 World Cup, ICC set conditions for participation in India shaking the cricket world
Why is Scotland given the opportunity in the T20 World Cup?
During the European Qualifier (July 2025), Scotland suffered losses to Italy and Jersey in their final matchups. At that time, the Netherlands led the points table, Italy held second, Jersey third, and Scotland fourth, making direct qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup elusive for them.
ICC could base its decision on rankings, where Scotland sits 14th in the ICC T20 rankings—the highest among non-participating teams. Previously in 2009, Scotland received this opportunity after Zimbabwe withdrew under similar ranking-based eligibility.
Read More: Bangladesh forgets BCCI's goodwill! Rebels against the same board that helped it gain recognition
While Scotland didn't qualify through the qualifiers, their ranking marks them as the "next best" team—prompting ICC to select them as replacements, not through qualifiers. Though rare, this method is valid in cricket when a team exits midway.
Bangladesh's boycott of T20 World Cup in India
On January 22 in Dhaka, after discussions with national team players, Bangladesh's interim sports advisor Asif Nazrul accused the ICC of injustice. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) reiterated that they are not inclined to travel to India for the T20 World Cup.
Post-meeting, BCB, players, and the sports advisor jointly decided to await ICC's venue change decision. However, ICC has already asserted that matches outside India won't change venues.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board insists T20 World Cup matches be moved to Sri Lanka instead of India, citing safety concerns for players.
Read More: ICC dismisses Bangladesh's contrarian stance, insists on Indian matches—else they face exclusion from the 2026 T20 World Cup
Asif Nazrul stated, "We will not buckle under pressure. The world must understand the consequences if Bangladesh doesn't partake. We will not compromise on our players' safety." Despite ICC's stern stance, Bangladesh remains firm, casting the T20 World Cup in uncertainty as the world awaits ICC's next decision. On January 21, 14 out of 16 countries voted against Bangladesh's proposal, with only Bangladesh and Pakistan endorsing it, putting Bangladesh at a disadvantage.
Why the discord, and the strained India-Bangladesh relations?
Recently, tensions escalated between Bangladesh and India when reports of minorities, notably Hindus, facing persecution in the neighboring country surfaced. This controversy impacted cricket, with protests surrounding Mustafizur Rahman, Shahrukh Khan, and the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, leading to Rahman's contract termination and exclusion from IPL 2026. Consequently, Bangladesh imposed a ban on IPL broadcasts. Later, demands to host their T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka surged, which ICC denied. On January 22, Bangladesh refused to play the World Cup in India altogether.
