"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," ICC's statement reads.

The ICC has announced that Scotland will replace Bangladesh at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Scotland has been called up to take Bangladesh’s place in Group C, joining England, Italy, Nepal and the West Indies.

"An e-mail was sent last evening to Bangladesh Cricket Board chairman intimating him that his board didn't get back to ICC officially after the 24 hour deadline that was given to them to decide if they wanted to come to India, so a decision has been taken," an ICC source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

It is learnt from the news agency PTI that senior ICC officials, including chairman Jay Shah, were in Dubai on Friday and an email was sent late in the evening to BCB chairman Aminul Islam Bulbul, conveying the global body's decision.

"It was only a matter of time before Bangladesh was replaced by the Associate country from the northwestern European country in the British isles and the final call was taken on Saturday morning when it is learnt that the ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta formally wrote to the ICC Board that the demands of Bangladesh were not in order with the ICC policy," reported Cricbuzz. 

It has been reported by the Cricbuzz that ICC has replaced Bangladesh with Scotland for the T20 World Cup 2026. 

“We cannot comment on this developing situation. If the circumstances change, we will issue an official media release on our website,” Charles Paterson, head of communications of Cricket Scotland, had told PTI. 

Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin recently stated that Bangladesh would be the only team to lose if they withdraw from the T20 World Cup 2026. Azharuddin reiterated that there are no safety concerns in India.

"If they don't come, it is their loss. They cannot complain about our security system. A lot of international matches are going on, and no team has complained. If they don't come, it will be their loss and a loss for their players. Our country is very secure. All the teams are playing. New Zealand are currently playing in India, and South Africa played just a few days ago," Azharuddin told ANI.

Bangladesh sports advisor Asif Nazrul went on a rant regarding the issue of participating in the T20 World Cup 2026. Speaking at a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) game, Nazrul thanked the crowd for attending in numbers, and claimed that they are being "excluded" from the T20 World Cup.
"Bangladeshi people, they love cricket, and the huge presence of the spectators is a testament to this. Quite recently Bangladesh has been on the verge of being excluded from the T20 World Cup. They have the right to play there, but they are being excluded," Nazrul said.

ICC, led by chairman Jay Shah, are considering taking strict action against Bangladesh, should the latter pull out of the T20 World Cup 2026, according to reports by ANI. Jay Shah is reportedly in Dubai with a final call expected on the issue shortly.

Bangladesh Test skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto has confessed his concern regarding the future of Bangladesh players amid the nation's stance to not play the T20 World Cup 2026 in India. 
"As a player, there is definitely some worry about the future because we face uncertainty. It is not just me; everyone is in a state of uncertainty. I would request those in charge, the cricket board and others, to come to a compromise [on domestic club cricket] so that cricket can continue smoothly," Shanto said, as per Bangladesh-based outlet The Daily Star.

ICC chairman Jay Shah is reportedly contemplating strict action against Bangladesh if they do not agree to tour India for the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup 2026. According to news agency ANI, Jay Shah is in Dubai for the final call on the issue. Earlier this week, ICC rejected the BCB's request to move their matches out of India for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Bangladesh have written to the ICC once again, seeking intervention from the global body's Dispute Resolution Committee. However, If one checks the ICC's Constitution and 'Terms of Reference' for the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), then it will become clear that it doesn't have any right to hear an appeal against a decision passed by the Board of Directors of the ICC. The ICC Board of Directors emphatically voted 14-2 in favour of keeping Bangladesh's matches in India.

According to the report by Cricbuzz, Bangladesh's T20I captain Litton Das and Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto spoke during BCB's meeting and conveyed that the team was ready to play the T20 World Cup in India. However, the BCB highlighted previous incidents and safety concerns to journalists and fans in response to Litton and Shanto's statements.

"The meeting was called not to give our consent as it was made out to be initially. Rather, we were called so that we are aware of the development in the ongoing crisis. They made up their mind and decided what they will do before coming into the meeting, and it's not like any decision was taken taking our views into consideration," said a Bangladesh cricketer to Cricbuzz, on condition of anonymity.

"They didn't ask. They made the plan directly and said it's not happening. Earlier, they would sit with us and hear us out. But now, they've already said we're not going," he said. "The thing is, Bangladesh's government call was already made and nothing else but that's the real story. It was a direct order from the government - it's not happening," the player added.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, Bangladesh players, including captain Litton Das, barely had a say in the decisions taken by the BCB in tandem with the country's government regarding non-participation in India. The report states that players were "briefly allowed to speak", but ultimately their consent mattered little in the stance taken by the BCB.

Another twist has been introduced as Bangladesh attempt to stay firm on their decision to not play the T20 World Cup 2026 in India. However, as mentioned earlier, there's likely to be major financial setbacks for the BCB should they decide to forego participating in the tournament, in case they do not get their way. 

The ICC Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) is a body comprising of independent lawyers that attends to issues regarding international cricket and issues that involve the ICC, member boards, players and other related parties, only when all other possible solutions and options have been exhausted.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has written a second letter to the ICC, hours after its 24-hour deadline to reach a final decision expired, as per a report by Times of India. According to the report, the letter from the BCB is a request for the matter of venue change to be referred to the ICC's Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC).

According to a PTI report, Bangladesh could lose around Rs 240 crore of income if they do not participate in the T20 World Cup 2026, as they would miss out on significant sponsorship and broadcast revenue, and prize money. This means they could lose as much as 60 per cent of their annual income just by not participating in the tournament.

Bangladesh's sports adviser Asif Nazrul stated that the players of the Bangladesh cricket team "seemed to understand the situation", following the BCB's decision to persist in its stance of refusing to play the T20 World Cup in India. 

"We met with the players to explain the context and the government's reasoning behind this decision. As this was a privileged communication, the specifics of what the players said will not be disclosed to allow them to speak freely, but they seemed to understand the situation," he said.

"We cannot comment on this developing situation. If the circumstances change, we will issue an official media release on our website," said Charles Paterson, head of communications of Cricket Scotland, to PTI on Thursday. 

This is a marked change from their stance from a week ago, when they had stated that they had not been approached by the ICC, but would be 'ready' if they were to be.

Bangladesh have not communicated an official decision to the ICC, despite being given a 24-hour deadline to do so, according to a report by Cricbuzz. The report further says that internal discussions between government authorities and player representatives likely took place, but no official response was made by the BCB.

This likely leaves the ball in ICC's court.

If terms are to remain as underlined by the ICC prior to their ultimatum, then Bangladesh could well be replaced by Scotland, who are the highest-ranked team to have not qualified for the T20 World Cup. A few days earlier, Scotland had clarified that they had not been approached by the ICC in this regard. However, that could change now. 

As it stands, Bangladesh's 24-hour deadline to make a final decision and inform the ICC has expired.

The saga kickstarted when Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was asked to be released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from participating in IPL 2026, amid political tension between India and Bangladesh. Mustafizur had been bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for Rs 9.2 crore in the auction. This eventually led to Bangladesh refusing to participate in the T20 World Cup in India, citing safety concerns to its players, staff and fans.

While the ICC declared that there is no credible threat to the safety of the Bangladesh players, staff and fans in India, the BCB remained firm in their decision to not play in India. BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul stated that "shocking calls" were made in the ICC Board Meeting.
"There were some shocking calls in the ICC Board Meeting. The Mustafizur (Rahman) issue is not an isolated single issue. They (India) were the sole decision makers in that issue," he said.

Here's a recap of the latest update: The BCB refused to play the T20 World Cup in India despite an ultimatum being set by the ICC, confirming their decision on Thursday after a meeting between its board members, government and players.

"We will continue to communicate with the ICC. We want to play the World Cup, but we won't play in India. We will keep fighting," said Asif Nazrul, Bangladesh's sports adviser.

Bangladesh's participation at the T20 World Cup 2026 in India is still uncertain. Despite the International Cricket Council (ICC) sending an ultimatum that refusal could see them get replaced, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held firm on its stance. 

Stay tuned for all the live updates as the saga continues to unfold.