The 2026 T20 World Cup is less than one month away and there is barely any positive buzz around the tournament which will be staged in India and Sri Lanka and is seen as the most high-profile competition in international cricket.
That is largely because Bangladesh are refusing to travel to India for the tournament, citing security concerns, and that has taken almost all the attention away from the cricket.
It all started when the Indian cricket board directed the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise to remove Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their line-up. Rahman had earlier become the most expensive Bangladesh cricketer in IPL history after getting snapped up for $1 million during the auction in Abu Dhabi late last year.
The incident was triggered by the rapidly deteriorating political relations between Bangladesh and India, especially after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi following violent protests in 2024.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has urged the International Cricket Council to consider shifting their matches out of India and to Sri Lanka. The Tigers are scheduled to play three matches in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata and one in Mumbai.
However, any change in fixtures and venues will be a cumbersome process, especially given the time constraints. Also, moving Bangladesh's matches to Sri Lanka would require another venue to be added to the three scheduled to be used in Colombo and Pallekele.
Visa issues
Another issue that has cropped up is regarding the issuance of visas. USA fast bowler and Pakistani-origin cricketer Ali Khan posted a message on social media, stating that his visa for the T20 World Cup in India had been denied.
Ali was part of the team that famously defeated Pakistan at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the US. He is part of three Pakistani-origin cricketers in the US team. The visa request was not approved in the first instance but it is believed the matter will be resolved soon, especially because there have been similar incidents in the past.
England spinner Shoaib Bashir missed a Test in India in 2024 as he could not get his visa approved in time. Back in 2011, Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja also experienced visa delays ahead of the now discontinued Champions League Twenty20 tournament.
The visa issue could be felt more acutely this time. This T20 World Cup has a total of 20 teams participating, which includes a number of associate nations. Nearly half the teams involved, including the UAE, have players of Pakistani origin.
Pakistan will not be travelling to India following a complete breakdown in relations between the countries and will play all of their matches in Sri Lanka.
The T20 World Cup begins on February 7 and the final takes place on March 8. The title match is set to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad but if Pakistan qualify, the final will move to Sri Lanka.
