Last Updated:January 17, 2026, 22:37 IST
Ireland’s reaction comes in the wake of reports from Bangladesh that the BCB has asked the ICC to swap their groups with Ireland’s.
ICC won’t move Ireland’s T20 World Cup 2026 matches from Sri Lanka. (Picture Credit: X/@cricketireland)
Hours after it was reported that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to swap their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 group with Ireland, Cricket Ireland (CI), as per a Cricbuzz report, have stated that the ICC will not move their matches out of Sri Lanka.
“We’ve received definitive assurances that we won’t move from the original schedule. We’re definitely playing the Group Stage in Sri Lanka,” an official from CI was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
In the 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup 2026, Ireland are part of Group B along with Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Oman and will play all their group-stage matches in Sri Lanka (the first three in Colombo and the last in Pallekele). On the other hand, Bangladesh are part of Group C with England, the West Indies, Nepal and Italy and is scheduled to play three matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai.
Bangladesh are not willing to travel India for the shortest format megaevent citing security reasons and on Saturday evening the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) asked the ICC to swap its national team with Ireland in Group C in order to play in Sri Lanka instead of India.
The two-member ICC team, consisting of Gaurav Saxena, General Manager, Events and Corporate Communications, and Andrew Ephgrave, General Manager, Integrity Unit, was in Dhaka to convince BCB about the security arrangements in India and to follow the original schedule.
“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) today held a meeting with representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to discuss matters relating to Bangladesh’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026,” said the BCB in a release after the meeting with ICC delegates.
Ephgrave attended the meeting in person but Saxena joined virtually after he failed to secure a Bangladesh visa in time.
“During the discussions, the BCB reiterated its formal request to the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka. The Board also shared the Bangladesh Government’s views and concerns on safety and security of the team, Bangladeshi fans, media and other stakeholders,” the BCB added.
First Published:
January 17, 2026, 21:54 IST
News cricket Setback For Bangladesh! ICC Won’t Move Ireland’s T20 World Cup 2026 Matches From Sri LankaDisclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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