IPL 2026: Tensions between India and Bangladesh escalate; IPL broadcast suspended; I&B Ministry confirms the decision.

Tensions between India and Bangladesh are escalating continuously. After deciding not to send its team to India for the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh has now also banned the broadcast of the IPL. According to news agency ANI, the interim government has decided to ban the broadcast of the IPL. IPL 2026 is scheduled to begin in March.

Where did the dispute begin?

The dispute between India and Bangladesh intensified when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asked the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to drop Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the team. The entire controversy started with Mustafizur's exclusion from the IPL. KKR had bought Mustafizur for Rs 9.20 crore in the mini-auction last month. But on the instructions of the BCCI, KKR dropped the Bangladeshi bowler from the team. There was opposition in India to Mustafizur's inclusion, and several politicians and commentators had criticized KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan over the matter. Bangladesh is furious after Mustafizur's exclusion.

Bangladesh's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting confirms

Bangladesh's interim government's sports minister, Asif Nazrul, had said that he had requested the Bangladeshi Minister of Information and Broadcasting to suspend the broadcast of the IPL in Bangladesh. A day later, the interim government of Bangladesh decided to suspend the broadcast of the IPL. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh said, "The people of Bangladesh are deeply hurt, saddened, and outraged by the BCCI's decision to exclude Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders team for the upcoming IPL starting in March. In these circumstances, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh has informed that the broadcast of all IPL matches and related programs in Bangladesh will remain suspended until further notice."

The team will not come to India for the T20 World Cup.

Earlier, on Sunday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had clarified that it would not send its team to India for the T20 World Cup next month. They have demanded that the ICC hold the World Cup matches in Sri Lanka. Currently, the ICC has not made any decision regarding the BCB's request. Bangladesh is scheduled to play three of its four league matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai. Bangladesh's league matches are against West Indies (February 7), Italy (February 9), and England (February 14) in Kolkata, and against Nepal (February 17) in Mumbai. Bangladesh is placed in Group C along with Italy, Nepal, England, and the West Indies.