How much will Tigers lose financially by boycotting T20 WC?

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Bangladeshi authorities have announced a boycott of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, stating that they will not travel to India to participate under the current schedule. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected Bangladesh's request to move their fixtures out of India, stating that there is no credible threat and that altering the tournament schedule so close to the start would set a problematic precedent, report agencies.
BCB made the decision on January 22, right after an internal board meeting. Just a day earlier, on January 21, the ICC had talked to BCB directors and set a firm deadline. The ICC said if Bangladesh pulled out, Scotland would take their place before the tournament kicks off on February 7.
BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul made it clear they still want to compete on the world stage, but they're standing firm on not playing in India. He brought up the recent snub of Mustafizur Rahman, who got dropped from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for IPL 2026. Bulbul said this isn't just a one-off case, despite what the ICC claimed in their statement last night. He urged the ICC to move Bangladesh's matches out of India and expressed frustration with the lack of a real solution.
"We will continue to communicate with the ICC. We want to play the World Cup, but we won't play in India. We will keep fighting. There were some shocking calls in the ICC Board Meeting. The Mustafizur issue is not an isolated single issue. They (India) were the sole decision makers in that issue," Bangladesh Cricket Board President Aminul Islam Bulbul said. "ICC had denied us our request to shift our matches away from India. We are not sure about the status of world cricket. Its popularity is going down. They have locked away 200 million people. Cricket is going to the Olympics, but if a country like us is not going there, it is ICC's failure," he added.
Players set to lose match fees and bonuses
Bangladesh's players lose out on match fees, bonuses, and prize money-no small amount, since the T20 World Cup is one of cricket's biggest paydays. The BCB would also lose its ICC participation fee, which is $500,000 (about Rs 5 crore INR or BDT 66.7 million or 6.67 crore).
Broadcast revenue and commercial impact
There's more at stake than just player earnings. If Bangladesh sits this one out, broadcasters and sponsors-especially in the Indian subcontinent-stand to lose viewers. That means less advertising and less sponsor value, since Bangladesh games always draw huge crowds. Former players and cricket commentators have pointed out that less TV coverage for Bangladesh matches will shrink sponsor interest and ad revenue.
Long-term financial and sporting impact
As for the board's own finances, BCB officials, including the finance committee chairman, say the board itself won't take a direct hit, since most of their income is locked in by ICC agreements through 2027. But that doesn't cover everything. Individual players still lose match fees and bonuses, and there could be ripple effects-like reduced sponsorships and future
bilateral series-that aren't so easy to measure.