United News of Bangladesh

Sylhet Titans captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz won the toss and opted to field first in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) eliminator against Rangpur Riders. Sylhet have made four changes to their squad, while Rangpur captain Litton Das confirmed two changes in his squad for today’s match. Rangpur Riders squad: Dawid Malan, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das (c), Khushdil Shah, Iftakhar Hossain Ifti, Nurul Hasan (w), Mahmudullah, Faheem Ashraf, Nahid Rana, Aliss Al Islam, Akif Javed, Mehedi Hasan Sohag, Rakibul Hasan, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Nayeem Hasan, Abdul Halim, Mustafizur Rahman, Kyle Mayers, Kamrul Islam Dramatic final over sees Rajshahi edge past Sylhet by 5 runs Sylhet Titans squad: Tawfique Khan, Parvez Hossain Emon (w), Moeen Ali, Afif Hossain, Mominul Haque, Mehedi Hasan Miraz (c), Ethan Brookes, Shohidul Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Ruyel Miah, Salman Irshad, Rony Talukdar, Ariful Islam Jony, Ebadot Hossain, Khaled Ahmed, Rahatul Ferdous, Zakir Hasan

The ICC T20 World Cup faces fresh uncertainty as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly halted all national team preparations on Monday (January 19, 2026) with the board instructing team management to develop a ‘contingency plan’ in case Pakistan decides to withdraw from the tournament. Geo News, a mainstream Pakistani media, reported that the PCB has taken this drastic step in solidarity with Bangladesh, whose participation remains in doubt due to security concerns regarding venues in India. Read more: Mustafizur Rahman named in Wisden’s 2025 T20 team of the year Officials stated that Pakistan views Bangladesh’s security apprehensions as “reasonable and valid” and warned that they would reconsider their own participation if these grievances are not addressed. While the PCB has offered to host Bangladesh's matches as an alternative, logistical solutions appear to be narrowing after Cricket Ireland rejected a proposed group swap, confirming they have received “definitive assurances” that they will remain in Sri Lanka. The standoff is fast approaching a breaking point, with a final decision on Bangladesh's participation expected by January 21. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) must announce by this deadline whether they will travel to India or forfeit their spot. Should Bangladesh decline to participate, the ICC is expected to nominate Scotland as their replacement based on rankings. Read more: Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup deadlock: Ireland rejects group swap, Pakistan sides with BCB Despite the BCB's insistence on venue changes, the ICC maintains that there is “no specific threat” to the team and the original schedule remains unchanged. 

The diplomatic crisis surrounding the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 has escalated to a new level, with Pakistan media reporting that the country may review its own participation in the tournament if Bangladesh's security concerns regarding India remain unresolved. The move follows a formal request for support from the Bangladesh government, prompting Islamabad to warn that failing to address these grievances could impact the wider tournament preparations. Pakistan has taken a firm diplomatic stance, emphasizing that no country should face pressure regarding hosting responsibilities and assuring Bangladesh of “full support”. Read More: BCB rejects ICC’s plea to reconsider India tour to play T20 World Cup The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also formally communicated its interest in hosting Bangladesh's fixtures if venues in Sri Lanka are unavailable, citing its readiness following the successful hosting of the 2025 Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, a logistical solution proposed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to swap groups with Ireland appears to have collapsed. Cricket Ireland dismissed reports of a potential exchange, stating they have received “definitive assurances” from the ICC that they will remain in Sri Lanka for the group stages. A Cricket Ireland official confirmed, “We're definitely playing the group stage in Sri Lanka,” effectively rejecting the proposal the BCB tabled during a meeting with ICC executives in Dhaka on Saturday. Read more: Rajshahi Warriors top table with a tense 3-wicket win over Chattogram This development leaves Bangladesh in a precarious position under the current schedule. They remain in Group B alongside West Indies, England, Nepal, and Italy, with three matches scheduled in Kolkata and one in Mumbai starting February 7.//

The diplomatic tension between Dhaka and New Delhi has spilled onto the cricket field, as the captains of the Bangladesh and India Under-19 teams refused to shake hands during the toss at the ICC U-19 World Cup on Saturday in Zimbabwe. In a scene reminiscent of recent India-Pakistan encounters, Bangladesh acting captain Jawad Abrar and India captain Ayush Mhatre visibly avoided each other at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. While it remains unclear which team initiated the break in protocol, the two leaders dispensed with the customary sporting gesture before Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field. This incident mirrors the stance taken by India during the Asia Cup in September, where captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that his team would not shake hands with Pakistani players due to military conflicts. Read More: Bangladesh honours Mushfiqur Rahim as first cricketer to reach 100 Tests The breakdown in on-field courtesies comes amid “cold relations” between the two nations and a deepening standoff regarding the upcoming senior Men's T20 World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) remains firm in its decision not to send the national team to India for the tournament in February, citing severe security risks. Tensions escalated recently after Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the IPL due to security threats, a concern reportedly validated by the ICC’s own “Internal Threat Assessment Report”.

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is set to resume on Friday (January 16, 2026) after a successful late-night negotiation between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the players, ending the boycott that stalled the tournament on Thursday. The breakthrough was announced by BPL Governing Council Member Secretary Iftekhar Rahman and CWAB President Mohammad Mithun following a meeting at the BCB office in Gulshan. Read more: BCB removes Nazmul from finance chair in bid to end player boycott Cricketers joined the discussions with board officials and franchise representatives around 10:30 PM to finalize the agreement. To accommodate the lost day, the tournament schedule has been revised. Thursday’s abandoned matches—Noakhali Express vs. Chattogram Royals and Rajshahi Warriors vs. Sylhet Titans—will now be played on Friday at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM respectively. Consequently, Friday’s originally scheduled games have been shifted to Saturday, while Saturday’s fixtures move to January 18. The Eliminator and Qualifier-1 have also been pushed back to January 20, though the date for the final remains unchanged. The standoff was triggered by offensive remarks from BCB Director M Nazmul Islam regarding player funding. While the players initially demanded his resignation and a public apology, the resumption follows the board’s decision to strip him of his Finance Committee chairmanship. Read more: BPL halted as players boycott match despite BCB’s show-cause notice

In a frantic effort to salvage the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and quell a full-scale player mutiny, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has removed Director M Nazmul Islam from his post as Chairman of the Finance Committee with immediate effect. The decision, announced in a media release on Thursday evening (January 15, 2026), comes hours after cricketers followed through on their threat to boycott the day's BPL fixtures. The first match between Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express was abandoned after players refused to take the field, adhering to an ultimatum issued by the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB). Read More: BCB to continue ‘constructive engagement’ with ICC for T20 World Cup solution The BCB President exercised his authority under Article 31 of the constitution to strip Nazmul of his committee responsibilities, assuming the role of Acting Chairman himself. “The BCB reiterates that the interests of the cricketers remain its highest priority,” the board stated, adding that the move was aimed at ensuring the “smooth and effective functioning” of affairs. The release explicitly appealed to players to return to the field, hoping they would “display the highest standards of professionalism” to ensure the continuation of the BPL during this “challenging period”. The crisis erupted after Nazmul made a series of remarks, that cricketers found inflammatory, first labeling former captain Tamim Iqbal an “Indian agent” and later mocking players by asking if the board should demand a refund of their salaries if they failed to perform at the World Cup. While the players demanded his resignation as a board director, it remains to be seen if his removal solely from the Finance Committee chairmanship will be enough to bring them back to the stadium. Read more: BPL halted as players boycott match despite BCB’s show-cause notice

Australia will tour Pakistan for a three-match T20 International series in Lahore as part of their preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday. The day-night matches will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium on January 29, 31 and February 1. Australia are scheduled to arrive in Lahore on January 28 before both teams depart for the global tournament. While Australia will play their World Cup group matches in India, Pakistan will be based in Sri Lanka. Read more: ICC Tournament History: Teams That Declined to Tour Host Countries This will be Australia’s first T20 tour of Pakistan since April 2022, when they last visited the country for a Test series followed by a white-ball series. The Australians, however, did feature in some Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan last year. Meanwhile, Pakistan selectors are set to meet head coach Mike Hesson and captain Salman Ali Agha later this week to finalise the squad for the Australia series and the T20 World Cup. The squad is expected to be announced next week after approval from PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.Source: NDTV

Bangladesh has officially decided not to travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, escalating the sporting standoff between the two countries to an unprecedented level. Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul disclosed the major development on Sunday, calling the move as a necessary response to what he termed the ‘radical communal policy’ of the Indian cricket authorities. The decision came as a dramatic shift from the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) initial plan to merely request a venue change. It signals a definitive boycott of matches on Indian soil following the controversial exclusion of pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL. Decision on IPL broadcast ban after legal assessment: Adviser Rizwana “Bangladesh will not go to India to play the World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board took this decision today,” Asif Nazrul wrote on his social media. “I welcome this decision adopted in the context of the Indian board's radical communal policy,” he added. The crisis was triggered on Saturday when the BCCI instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Mustafizur Rahman. The move was celebrated by certain Indian political leaders as a “victory for Hindus,” a rhetoric that has drawn sharp condemnation from Dhaka. In parallel, the government is moving to sever cricketing ties on the broadcast front.  Information and Broadcasting Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan earlier said the administration is actively reviewing legal frameworks to ban the telecast of the 2026 IPL within Bangladesh. “There is no way to sit silent; a reaction must be shown,” Rizwana Hasan stated at the Secretariat, echoing Nazrul’s earlier sentiment that “the days of slavery are over.”

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has instructed the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for the 2026 Indian Premier League. This move was another indication of the deteriorating relationship between the two neighbours since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, which is criticised by the analysts as authoritarian, in 2024, and which had been a close ally of India. The Indian board has also granted the franchise permission to sign a replacement player. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the directive while speaking to an Indian news agency in Guwahati. Read more: Afghanistan announce T20 squad for World Cup “Due to recent events, the BCCI has instructed the KKR franchise to release the Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman from their team,” Saikia said. “The BCCI has further stated that if they wish to replace the player, the BCCI will grant that permission as well,” he added.  The decision comes amidst growing controversy in Bangladesh following reports of violence against religious minorities in India. In recent weeks, a number of attacks have taken place against Muslim minorities in India.  The same kind of incidence of religious intolerance took place in Bangladesh as well. In one incident, a garment worker was killed by a mob that accused him of insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Bangladesh government arrested around a dozen people who were involved in the incident.  Indian media outlets report that Mustafizur's contract with KKR faced intense scrutiny in recent weeks. Prominent Indian figures had called for his removal, with religious leader Devkinandan Thakur urging KKR management to drop the cricketer. Along with that, hard-liner BJP leader Sangeet Som publicly criticised franchise owner Shah Rukh Khan for the acquisition. Mustafizur was the sole Bangladeshi player secured during last month's auction, despite seven players from the nation being on the list. KKR signed him for INR 9.20 crore, a record transfer fee for a Bangladeshi cricketer in the tournament's history. Read more: Khawaja calls out racial stereotypes in powerful farewell address While earlier reports indicated the BCCI was awaiting government guidance regarding the participation of Bangladeshi players, this latest directive confirms the board's final stance on the matter.

The owners of Chattogram Royals have relinquished control of the franchise just a day before the start of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).  They failed to meet financial obligations to players, leaving BCB to step in and take temporary charge of the team. The franchise owner, Abdul Kaiyum, informed the BPL Governing Council of his decision in a letter submitted to the board, citing an inability to secure sponsors and pay player salaries. Under BPL regulations, the responsibility of the franchise now falls to the board.  “We have received a letter,” BPL Governing Council member secretary Iftekhar Rahman said to media. . “We are now discussing the situation with the players and reviewing how to proceed. According to the rules, the board is expected to take responsibility.” BCB director and chairman of the board’s media and communication department, Amzad Hussain, confirmed the takeover to UNB. “They are unable to continue as the owner of the team,” Amzad said. “They were also unable to make the necessary payments, so the BCB is taking over the team. Since there is no time to appoint a new owner, this was the only option.” Chattogram Royals were awarded to Triangular Services by the BCB, but the franchise had been surrounded by uncertainty since the beginning. Under BPL regulations, franchises are required to pay at least 25 percent of player contracts before the tournament begins. That payment was not made, according to officials.