Even as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) stays adamant in its stand to not travel to India for T20 World Cup 2026, there could be more trouble on the horizon for Bangladesh cricket. As per latest reports, Indian brand manufacturer SG is on the verge of ending their sponsorships with Bangladesh cricketers.
Pakistan does supply cricketing equipments to Bangladesh but the percentage is much lesser to India's contribution. Apart from being a contract provider for multiple Bangladesh national players, SG also has a strong presence in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Most of the batters in the BPL use SG bats, particularly those from the Sylhet franchise.
Bangladesh's T20I captain Litton Das is among the several cricketers in the country who have strong deals with SG. Test specialist Mominul Haque and rising star Yasir Ali are some of the other major names in the list. Sources close to the brand state that SG was nearing the renewal phase of their sponsorship deal with their Bangladesh cricketers but the recent developments have made them hit the pause button.
On January 3, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to remove Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad on political grounds. While the reason wasn't mentioned explicitly by BCCI or KKR, the move was arguably due to the ongoing violence against Hindus in Bangladesh.
A day later, the BCB responded by announcing their reluctance to play their T20 World Cup 2026 matches in India. All four of Bangladesh's league games are scheduled in India and if they progress further, it could remain the same unless they have to face Pakistan in any of the matches.
Following this, the International Cricket Council (ICC) responded in the negative to BCB's request for venue relocation and that matter is still hanging on the thread. The BCB's stance is understandably influenced by the Bangladesh government's decision, much like the BCCI were by India's government.
ALSO READ
- Will Tilak Varma miss T20 World Cup 2026 due to testicular torsion? What you need to know about the condition
- India vs New Zealand: Tilak Varma likely to miss entire T20I series
- 'Proven Indian agent': Bangladesh batting great insulted by influential board member for voicing concern over unfiltered political statements
Following the Mustafizur incident, the India-Bangladesh cricketing ties have started to witness extreme tensions. This is an unusual scenario for the BCB, given their previously warm relations with the BCCI. However, with the political climate in Bangladesh currently experiencing turmoil and a mild anti-India stand, the cricketing rivalry might also heat up considerably.
While there isn't anything official from SG yet, recent developments suggest that Bangladesh and BCB might have a lot to ponder about. If SG does make the move official, more Indian brands could follow suit.
