Scotland to officially replace Bangladesh in ICC T20 World Cup 2026

The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Saturday, January 24, officially confirmed that Scotland will replace Bangladesh at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, starting on February 7, in India and Sri Lanka.

Furthermore, ICC also confirmed that Bangladesh will not compete in the forthcoming mega event after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) pulled out of the event, citing security concerns in India.

Scotland is the next-highest-ranked T20I team that had originally missed T20 World Cup qualification. They are currently ranked 14th in the latest ICC Men’s T20I team rankings. 

Ultimately, Scotland will join the showpiece event in Group C alongside England, Italy, Nepal and the West Indies. Notably, the ICC rejected the BCB’s request to move Bangladesh’s games from India to Sri Lanka.

"The decision follows an extensive process undertaken by the ICC to address concerns raised by the BCB regarding the hosting of its scheduled matches in India," the ICC statement read.

"Over a period of more than three weeks, the ICC engaged with the BCB through multiple rounds of dialogue conducted in a transparent and constructive manner, including meetings held both via video conference and in-person,” the statement added.

"As part of this process, the ICC reviewed the concerns cited by the BCB, commissioned and considered independent security assessments from internal and external experts, and shared detailed security and operational plans covering federal and state arrangements, as well as enhanced and escalating security protocols for the event. These assurances were reiterated at several stages, including during discussions involving the ICC Business Corporation (IBC) Board.”

"The ICC’s assessments concluded that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team, officials or supporters in India. In light of these findings, and after careful consideration of the broader implications, the ICC determined that it was not appropriate to amend the published event schedule,” the statement concluded.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!