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Why is Bangladesh not playing in the T20 World Cup?

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Bangladesh withdrew from the 2026 T20 World Cup amid diplomatic tensions with India and a subsequent dispute over security and venue arrangements, which arose after the Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from his player contract for the upcoming IPL 2026. In January 2026 the Bangladesh Cricket Board cited the episode as evidence of a security threat to its players and asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to allow Bangladesh to play its World Cup matches in Sri Lanka or at a neutral venue rather than in India. The ICC refused to relocate the fixtures, and the Bangladesh government declined to permit the team to travel to India. This prompted the ICC to replace Bangladesh with Scotland, the highest-ranked T20I side that had failed to qualify for the tournament.