India hopes next month’s T20 World Cup will bolster its credentials as a global sports host — and the country’s Olympic ambitions — but preparations have been rocked by a diplomatic row with Bangladesh and accusations of political interference.

With barely two weeks until the tournament, Bangladesh have effectively been forced out after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected a request to move their matches from India to co-hosts Sri Lanka, citing security concerns.

“Our only demand is to play the World Cup but not in India,” Bangladesh Cricket Board President Aminul Islam Bulbul told reporters on Thursday, adding that without a change of venue, the team would not participate.

India is preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, seen as a stepping stone to the 2036 Olympics.

But the chaotic build-up to the T20 World Cup has cast a shadow over those ambitions, especially with cricket returning to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028.

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