Ridhima Excluded from BPL Presentation Amid IPL Broadcast Suspension in Bangladesh

Ridhima's Departure from BPL Presentation Team

Dhaka, Bangladesh - On January 7, it was reported that Indian presenter Ridhima has been removed from the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) presentation panel. This information was shared by local media, citing sources from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

Originally, Ridhima was set to host the Dhaka segment of this year's BPL; however, she was dropped from the lineup prior to her arrival in Bangladesh. The current BPL season commenced in Sylhet.

This season, the BPL has also introduced several new features to its presentation and commentary teams.

Pakistani presenter Zainab Abbas has arrived in Bangladesh, accompanied by notable commentators including Waqar Younis, Ramiz Raja, and Darren Gough. Ridhima was expected to join them but will no longer be part of the event.

Impact of IPL Broadcast Suspension

This change follows a decision by the Bangladesh government on January 5 to halt the broadcast of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 matches in the country. This action was taken after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) requested that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their roster.

The IPL is set to commence on March 26. The decision came after KKR announced the removal of Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad, which was influenced by a directive from the BCCI regarding reported atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh.

The Press Information Department (PID) released a statement on Monday, indicating that, under these circumstances, all IPL matches and related broadcasts will remain suspended in Bangladesh until further notice.

ICC's Response to BCB's Request

In another development, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has declined the BCB's request to relocate their matches from India to Sri Lanka for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

A virtual meeting took place on Tuesday between the ICC and BCB, during which the ICC communicated its decision to the Board, citing security concerns as the reason for the rejection.

The ICC has informed the BCB that the senior men's national cricket team must travel to India to participate in their T20 World Cup matches or face the risk of forfeiting points.

It is important to note that there has been no official statement from either the BCB or the ICC regarding the outcome of Tuesday's discussion, which was initiated after the BCB's request on Sunday to consider moving their matches to Sri Lanka for the T20 World Cup 2026.