Bangladesh out of T20 World Cup
New Delhi: Scotland will play in the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The International Cricket Council removed Bangladesh from the tournament. This decision came after the Bangladesh Cricket Board failed to meet ICC demands. Scotland's consistent performance in recent events secured their spot. They are ranked 14th globally. Scotland will compete in Group C.Scotland have officially replaced Bangladesh in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka, after the International Cricket Council (ICC) ran out of patience with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The switch had long appeared inevitable. The ICC had issued the BCB a 24-hour ultimatum earlier this week, warning of consequences if its demands, deemed inconsistent with ICC policy, were not withdrawn. On Saturday morning, the world body finally cracked the whip.
According to the reports, ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta formally wrote to the ICC Board, stating that the BCB had failed to comply with a binding board decision, leaving the ICC with no option but to replace Bangladesh with Scotland for the marquee tournament. The letter was circulated to all Board members and marked to BCB president Aminul Islam, himself an ICC Board member.At the same time, Gupta is understood to have sent a formal invitation to Cricket Scotland, confirming the associate nation’s entry into the World Cup.
Scotland’s inclusion is based on consistent performances in recent ICC events, as well as their current No 14 world ranking. The reshuffle places Scotland in Group C of the preliminary stage. They will open their campaign against West Indies in Kolkata on February 7, followed by matches against Italy (February 9) and England (February 14), before travelling to Mumbai to face Nepal on February 17.
