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No Bangladesh at 2026 T20 World Cup? Here’s who could step in

No Bangladesh at 2026 T20 World Cup? Here’s who could step in

No Bangladesh at 2026 T20 World Cup? Here’s who could step in Photograph: (AFP)

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As things stand, Scotland remains in pole position to take Bangladesh’s place in the T20 World Cup courtesy of the ICC T20I team rankings. Scotland, currently ranked 14th in the ICC rankings, is the highest-ranked non-qualified team for the T20 World Cup.

With the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) all set to boycott the upcoming T20 World Cup in India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is now set to assess its options. According to a strong media report on Thursday (Jan 22), BCB’s unwillingness to travel to India means the ICC will have to replace them with another team. So here’s a detailed look at which teams could replace Bangladesh in the 2026 T20 World Cup with little over two weeks to go.

Who could replace Bangladesh in 2026 T20 World Cup?

As things stand, Scotland remains in pole position to take Bangladesh’s place in the T20 World Cup courtesy of the ICC T20I team rankings. Scotland, currently ranked 14th in the ICC rankings, is the highest-ranked non-qualified team for the T20 World Cup. In this case, Scotland could be given a direct berth in the T20 World Cup. Scotland’s entry into the mix means Europe will have an extra team in the T20 World Cup, with England, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands already qualified.

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Which teams can claim a spot?

Kenya is the highest non-qualified team for the T20 World Cup 2026 from the African continent. It lost in the semifinal of the African qualifiers and later won the third-place Playoff against Tanzania. On the other hand, Bermuda is the highest non-qualified team from the Americas qualifier.

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What happened earlier?

The ICC on Wednesday decided to reject Bangladesh’s request to relocate its T20 World Cup 2026 matches out of India, reaffirming that the tournament will proceed as scheduled despite Bangladesh’s threat to withdraw. The ICC, in an official statement, emphasized that the schedule would remain unchanged. This decision followed a Board meeting, held via video conference, after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) insisted on moving its games to Sri Lanka.

An ICC spokesperson’s statement in relation to the decision read, "Over the past several weeks, the ICC has engaged with the BCB in sustained and constructive dialogue, with the clear objective of enabling Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament. During this period, the ICC has shared detailed inputs, including independent security assessments, comprehensive venue-level security plans and formal assurances from the host authorities, all of which consistently concluded that there is no credible or verifiable threat to the safety or security of the Bangladesh team in India.”

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About the Author

Aditya Vidyadhar Pimpale

Parth Seth is a research fellow at India Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank, where he studies the themes of development, foreign policy, and multilateralism, particularly in ...Read More