Sporting relations between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated sharply amid a series of developments involving their cricket boards and ongoing and upcoming T20 tournaments.
Reports initially emerged that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had removed Indian presenter Ridhima Pathak from the hosting panel of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
The reports described the move as the latest fallout from an escalating diplomatic and sporting dispute between the two countries.
However, Pathak, who is a prominent figure in Indian sports broadcasting, denied that she had been removed, claiming that she had voluntarily stepped away from the league due to the prevailing political climate.
Tensions intensified on January 3 when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reportedly instructed the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad.
Following this, the BCB said that its national side will not travel to India for the T20 World Cup 2026, expressing concern “over the overall circumstances” in the country.
In a statement, the BCB said it had decided not to send its team to India, which is co-hosting the upcoming tournament with Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh government also announced a nationwide ban on the telecast of the IPL and demanded that its matches in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 be shifted from India to Sri Lanka.
Against this backdrop, several media outlets claimed that Pathak had been ousted from the BPL, prompting her to publicly clarify her position.
“In the last few hours, there’s been a narrative suggesting I was ‘dropped’ from the BPL. That is not true. I made a personal decision to opt out. For me, my nation comes first-always. And I value the game of cricket far beyond any single assignment. I’ve been privileged to serve this sport for years with honesty, respect, and passion. That won’t change. I’ll continue to stand for integrity, for clarity, and for the spirit of the game.
“Thank you to everyone who reached out with support. Your messages mean more than you know. Cricket deserves truth. Period. No further comments from my side,” she wrote in her Instagram stories.
