India and Sri Lanka are set to co-host the T20 World Cup, starting February 7. However, the fate of Bangladesh, one of the 20 teams participating in the mega event, to play its matches in India remains unclear as there has been no official word from the ICC on the venue in Bangladesh.

BCCI release statement on Bangladesh T20 World Cup venue speculations

However, Bangladesh’s cricket board, the BCB, had written to the ICC, requesting the relocation of its matches to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns as tensions between the two neighboring countries are rising. The BCB also said it had received a response from the ICC, in which the Governing Council assured it that it was looking into the matter.

Meanwhile, a report also surfaced in the media that ICC is considering alternative venues for Bangladesh matches, and it seems that Bangladesh matches may be shifted to Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram instead of Kolkata and Mumbai, but BCCI Secretary has rejected this report.

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told news agency IANS that the Board of Control for Cricket in India has not received any update from the International Cricket Council regarding the change in venue for Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches, and it is beyond our control as it is a matter of discussion between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the ICC. He further stated that the ICC is the governing body and if the ICC informs us of any decision regarding a venue change, the BCCI, as host, will take the necessary steps. At this time, we have no such information.

Bangladesh is scheduled to play all of its group matches in Kolkata and Mumbai, India, according to the T20 World Cup schedule. They will play against the West Indies (February 7), Italy (February 9), and England (February 14) in Kolkata before traveling to Mumbai to face Nepal on February 17.