Bangladesh's efforts to secure a venue change for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 suffered a setback after Ireland ruled out both a group swap and any possibility of playing matches in India, complicating ongoing talks between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The BCB proposed during a meeting with ICC officials on Saturday that Bangladesh exchange groups with Ireland, a move that would have allowed the Tigers to play all their group-stage matches in Sri Lanka instead of India. Bangladesh are currently scheduled to play in Kolkata and Mumbai and have maintained they are not prepared to travel to India citing safety and security concerns.
However, Cricket Ireland (CI) said it had received firm assurances from the ICC that its schedule would not change and confirmed that it would not consider playing any World Cup matches in India.
"We've received definitive assurances that we won't move from the original schedule. We're definitely playing the Group Stage in Sri Lanka," a CI official told Cricbuzz, adding that Ireland had no plans to play in India under any revised arrangement.
Ireland are placed in Group B alongside Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Oman, with all their group fixtures slated for Sri Lanka. Bangladesh, meanwhile, are in Group C with England, West Indies, Nepal and Italy.
Bangladesh's proposal was raised as part of wider discussions aimed at finding a solution with minimal disruption to the tournament, following a video conference earlier this week between senior BCB officials and the ICC.
In a statement issued after Tuesday's meeting, the BCB said it had formally requested the relocation of Bangladesh's matches to Sri Lanka and conveyed concerns raised by the Bangladesh government.
"During the discussions, the BCB reiterated its formal request to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh's matches to Sri Lanka. The Board also shared the Bangladesh Government's views and concerns on safety and security of the team, Bangladeshi fans, media and other stakeholders," the statement said.
The BCB added that talks were conducted in a "constructive, cordial and professional manner" and confirmed that alternative options, including a potential group change, were discussed to facilitate the matter with minimum logistical adjustments.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Bangladesh had stressed that its position was based solely on security considerations and that it remained committed to participating in the tournament once acceptable arrangements were agreed upon.
With Ireland ruling out any change to its schedule or venues, the ICC faces growing pressure to find a resolution as it balances security assurances, tournament logistics and commercial commitments ahead of the global event.
