Bangladesh's T20 World Cup pullout orchestrated by Mohsin Naqvi & Pakistan!! World Cup winner drops bomb

Former India cricketer Madan Lal has said that Pakistan influenced Bangladesh’s decision to pull out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India. Lal called the move “foolish” and politically motivated by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), adding that “India will not lose anything” if they do not participate.

The T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to run from February 7 to March 8 across India and Sri Lanka. After a board meeting, the BCB repeated its refusal to tour India, describing the decision by the ICC as an injustice. The board said that its request to move matches to Sri Lanka or a neutral venue was ignored.

Pakistan Instigating Bangladesh Not to Participate - Madan Lal

Madan Lal criticized Pakistan while reacting to Bangladesh’s stance on the T20 World Cup. He said that Bangladesh were being pushed into the decision only to make a political point against India. Lal warned that Bangladesh would suffer the most, as they would face heavy commercial losses.

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“I think it's foolish, I can say that because India is not going to lose anything. Bangladesh is going to lose everything because not participating in such a big tournament from the commercial point of view, Bangladesh is going to be quite a loss,” Madan Lal told India Today.

"I think it's Pakistan instigating them not to participate in this tournament. They just want to bring India down," he added.

It Is One Of the Safest Places in India - Madan Lal

Madan Lal stated that there is no real threat to playing in India. He pointed out that the matches are scheduled in Mumbai, which he described as one of the safest cities in the country.

Lal added that India would not be affected by Bangladesh’s decision and claimed the issue was political. He said Pakistan and Bangladesh were acting together in an attempt to target India rather than responding to genuine security concerns.

"They are playing in Mumbai, and it is one of the safest places in India. It doesn't make any difference to the Indian board or anything, but I think it's all politics, Pakistan and Bangladesh playing their part very strongly because they want to let India down, and that's the thing," said Lal.

Bangladesh-India Cricket Ties Strained Ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

Cricket relations between Bangladesh and India have come under strain after the Board of Control for Cricket in India asked Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from IPL 2026.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has also entered the standoff. According to reports, Pakistan are backing Bangladesh’s position, while sections of Pakistani media claimed PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi paused team preparations as the board waits for clarity.

Bangladesh are scheduled to play all four group matches in India. They are set to face the West Indies, Italy, and England at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, followed by a final group match against Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

If Bangladesh qualify for the Super Eights, some matches would be held in India depending on their group finish. Bangladesh reached the Super Eights in the 2024 T20 World Cup but failed to progress to the semifinals.

Also read: BCCI to groom Team Nepal to replace Bangladesh in international cricket