Dubai [UAE], January 5 : Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh on Monday commented on the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) formal request to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate their 2026 Men's T20 World Cup matches from India to alternative venues, citing safety and security concerns.
Harbhajan stated that India welcomes all teams but stressed that it is ultimately Bangladesh's decision whether to participate on Indian soil.
The former Indian cricketer further emphasised that the ICC needs to decide on their request. The BCB cited growing concerns about the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent as the reason for not travelling to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup, set to be hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka.
While speaking to ANI, Harbhajan Singh said, "Due to the various events that have taken place in the past few days, Bangladesh does not want to come to India. Whatever happened in Bangladesh is wrong. ICC needs to make a decision on their request. We welcome everyone to India, but whether they (Bangladesh) want to come here or not is their choice."
This development follows the announcement by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) that they had removed Bangladeshi player Muztafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 roster in response to a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding atrocities committed against minorities in Bangladesh.
KKR's decision followed BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia's statement that the apex cricket board had instructed the IPL franchise to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman "due to the recent developments".
"Due to the recent developments which is going on all across, BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh, from their squad, and BCCI has also said that if they ask for any replacement, BCCI is going to allow that replacement," Devaijit Saikia had told ANI.
Mustafizur was selected by KKR for the IPL 2026 season in the mini auction last year. The three-time champions bagged the left-arm seamer for Rs 9.20 crores.