Bangladesh's sports advisor, Asif Nazrul, stated that the country does not want its cricket team to play any matches of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India. Nazrul expressed openness to co-hosts Sri Lanka, Pakistan, or the UAE hosting Bangladesh's games instead. This stance follows reports of the BCCI directing an IPL franchise to release a Bangladeshi player amid anti-Bangladesh sentiment in India, reportedly due to targeted attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has requested the ICC to shift venues, a request reportedly rejected for now.