Cricket Ireland (CI) has firmly stated that its team will not shift their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage fixtures out of Sri Lanka, dismissing reports that it might swap groups with the Bangladesh cricket team amidst the ongoing discussions surrounding the matter. The Irish side will be playing all of its matches in the island nation during the group stage.
The clarification comes in the aftermath of the media reports that claimed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift their matches to Sri Lanka, with them swapping groups with Ireland. However, the Irish board said it has received definitive assurances from the ICC regarding their matches and the venue ahead of the marquee event.
“We’ve received definitive assurances that we won’t move from the original schedule. We’re definitely playing the Group Stage in Sri Lanka,” an official from CI told Cricbuzz in a statement.
As per the announced groups and schedule, Ireland is in Group C (with co-hosts Sri Lanka, Australia, Zimbabwe, and Oman) and will play all their league games in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has been placed in Group B, with matches in Kolkata and Mumbai, a setup the BCB has reportedly raised concerns about, as they are not willing to play in India and want their matches to shift outside the neighbouring nation.
During a meeting in Dhaka, the BCB discussed the group swap idea with ICC representatives as a potential way to address their reluctance to travel to India. Despite this, the proposal hasn’t got any approval from either Ireland or the ICC. Citing logistical reasons, Bangladesh floated this extravagant idea of swapping groups just a few days before the commencement of the tournament.
“Among other points, the possibility of moving Bangladesh to a different group as a means of facilitating the matter with minimum logistical adjustments was discussed,” the BCB source said.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to kick off on February 7, with India and Sri Lanka co-hosting the marquee event. Bangladesh will take on the West Indies in their opening match at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
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