Scotland confirms invitation to compete in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

Following the final decision on Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the tournament, Scotland have been invited to replace them in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, set to begin on February 7 across India and Sri Lanka. Cricket Scotland confirmed the development in Edinburgh on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, the ICC formally informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that it would be replaced after the board refused to participate in the tournament, citing security concerns. As a result, Scotland will now feature in the league stage of the World Cup, with all of their group matches scheduled to be played in India.

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The standoff stemmed from BCB’s security objections following the removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL squad, on instructions from the BCCI. In response, the BCB banned the IPL’s broadcast in Bangladesh and urged the ICC to shift their group-stage matches to Sri Lanka, one of the co-hosts of the tournament. The ICC, however, maintained that there were no security concerns and declined to alter the schedule.

The decision brings an end to weeks of uncertainty, during which the BCB repeatedly pushed for a venue change and even proposed swapping groups with Ireland, suggestions that were ultimately rejected by the global governing body.

Cricket Scotland confirmed that the men’s team has been training for several weeks in preparation for upcoming tours and will now travel to India immediately to acclimatise ahead of the tournament. Further details regarding squad selection are expected to be announced in the coming days.

“I welcomed a call from ICC Chair Jay Shah earlier today confirming that Scotland will receive an invitation to play at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. I was pleased to accept on behalf of our team, who are willing and ready to go. We thank the ICC for this opportunity and look forward to competing with some of the best sides in the world in India in the coming weeks,” said Wilf Walsh, Chair of Cricket Scotland, in a statement.

Scotland will compete in Group C alongside England, Italy, Nepal, and the West Indies, with three of their matches scheduled in Kolkata and one in Mumbai. They enter the tournament as the next highest-ranked T20I side to miss direct qualification, having finished fourth in the qualifying standings.

Currently ranked 14th in T20Is, Scotland sits ahead of teams such as Namibia, UAE, Nepal, USA, Canada, Oman, and Italy. Notably, this marks the second time Scotland have entered a T20 World Cup as a replacement side, having also featured in the 2009 edition in England after Zimbabwe withdrew due to political reasons.

“Earlier today, I received correspondence from the ICC asking if our men’s team would play at the Men’s T20 World Cup, and we have accepted. We are grateful to the ICC for extending this invitation. This is an exciting opportunity for Scotland’s players to compete on the global stage in front of millions of supporters,” said Trudy Lindblade, Chief Executive of Cricket Scotland.

“We also acknowledge that this opportunity has arisen out of challenging and unique circumstances. Our squad have been training for some weeks and are now preparing to arrive in India imminently to acclimatise to local conditions, ready to play and contribute to what should be a fantastic ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.”