Harbhajan Singh Comments on Bangladesh's Request to Move T20 World Cup Matches

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh addressed the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) formal request to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup matches from India due to security concerns. He emphasized that while India welcomes all teams, the decision for Bangladesh to play on Indian soil ultimately rests with them.

 

Harbhajan further stated that the ICC must make a decision regarding their request. The BCB cited escalating security concerns for the Bangladeshi team as the reason for not wanting to travel to India for the T20 World Cup, which is set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Speaking to a news outlet, Harbhajan mentioned that recent incidents have led to Bangladesh's reluctance to visit India, asserting that the events in Bangladesh were unfortunate. He reiterated that while India is open to hosting everyone, it is up to Bangladesh to decide whether they wish to come.

 

This situation arose following the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) announcement to exclude Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad in response to directives from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh. KKR's decision came after BCCI Secretary Devjit Sakiya stated that the board had instructed IPL franchises to release Rahman due to recent events.

 

Devjit Sakiya informed a news outlet that in light of the ongoing incidents across the country, the BCCI directed KKR to free their player, Mustafizur Rahman, from the team. The BCCI also mentioned that if KKR requests a replacement, they would grant that request. Mustafizur was acquired by KKR for the IPL 2026 season during last year's mini-auction for a sum of ₹9.20 crores.