Scotland replace Bangladesh in T20 World Cup 2026 after BCB misses ICC deadline

Scotland has officially stepped in to replace Bangladesh in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, following the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) refusal to travel to India amid security concerns. After issuing an ultimatum to the BCB a couple of days earlier and with no confirmation from Bangladesh, the ICC enforced the pre-decided replacement, paving the way for Scotland to join the tournament.

Statement by ICC

“It was formally announced on Saturday that Bangladesh will no longer compete in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to participate in the tournament per the published match schedule,” ICC stated in a release.

“Scotland has been called up to take Bangladesh’s place in Group C, joining England, Italy, Nepal and the West Indies,” the release further added.

Reason behind the replacement

This development ends weeks of uncertainty that stemmed from Bangladesh's stance on playing matches in India. The BCB cited security and political tensions as reasons for their reluctance, even after an independent assessment and ICC efforts to address concerns.

"The ICC’s assessments concluded that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team, officials or supporters in India.

“In light of these findings, and after careful consideration of the broader implications, the ICC determined that it was not appropriate to amend the published event schedule.

Following a meeting on Wednesday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board had been given a 24-hour timeframe to confirm whether its team would participate in India as scheduled. As no confirmation was received within the deadline, the ICC "proceeded in line with its established governance and qualification processes to identify a replacement team," the ICC statement noted.

Scotland's replacement spot in T20 World Cup 2026

Scotland have been selected by the ICC to replace Bangladesh in the 2026 T20 World Cup after the BCB refused to play matches in India over security concerns and missed the confirmation deadline. The choice was based on Scotland's solid past performances in recent ICC events (strong showings in 2021, 2022, and especially 2024, where they matched England on points but lost on NRR), making them the top eligible non-qualified team rather than just their current No. 14 ranking. This keeps the tournament competitive with a proven associate side stepping in.

“Scotland are the next-highest ranked T20I team that had originally missed T20 World Cup qualification. They are currently ranked 14th, which in fact is ahead of competing teams Namibia, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, USA, Canada, Oman and Italy,” the ICC statement added.

Scotland's Group C placement and fixtures

The tournament is scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. Scotland will now slot into Group C for the preliminary stage. They face a tough but exciting lineup of matches, starting right from the tournament opener.

Their schedule includes:

February 7: vs West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata (day/night match)

February 9: vs Italy in Kolkata

February 14: vs England in Kolkata

February 17: vs Nepal in Mumbai

These games mark Scotland's return to the global stage in a high-profile group featuring powerhouses like West Indies and England, alongside emerging sides Italy and Nepal.