On January 3, 2026, a quiet directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) abruptly ended Bangladesh’s lone presence in the Indian Premier League (IPL) before the season could even begin. Kolkata Knight Riders, the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise, were instructed to release fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, effectively cutting short what would have been his IPL campaign.
The decision was widely seen as linked to the sharp deterioration in India-Bangladesh relations following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was granted exile in New Delhi. Within days, Rahman signed with the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) lodged a strong protest, IPL broadcasts were banned in Bangladesh, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) was drawn into an escalating diplomatic standoff.
The BCCI is largely shielded from immediate broadcast revenue effects, with IPL media rights for 2023–2027 fixed at Rs 48,390.32 crore under a global contract, ensuring broadcaster payments remain unaffected by temporary telecast disruptions in specific markets.
However, what should have been a routine player release instead became a symbol of how cricket in South Asia has shifted from a channel of soft diplomacy to an instrument of political and economic pressure.
Notably, BCB has said that Bangladesh will not play the T20 World Cup 2026, slated to be held in India in February. Analysts said a boycott of the T20 World Cup would carry high financial costs for Bangladesh, hitting both players and the BCB after the ICC rejected Dhaka’s request to stage its World Cup matches outside India. Also, broadcasters and sponsors in key markets, particularly the Indian subcontinent, could see lower audience engagement, reducing broadcast revenue tied to the country’s fan base.
The ICC has announced that Scotland will take part in the upcoming World Cup, with Bangladesh pulling out of the tournament.
Under the current ICC revenue-sharing model, the BCB is set to receive about 4.46 per cent of ICC’s annual earnings, roughly USD 26.7 million a year, with ICC funds accounting for about 55 to 60 per cent of the board’s total income. Dhaka will forgo guaranteed participation fees of about USD 300,000 to 500,000, prize money and performance bonuses, and risks losing up to USD 27 million in shared ICC revenue, an amount equal to nearly 60 per cent of its yearly take, along with associated broadcast and sponsorship income tied to marquee matches.
Media reports stated that external financial estimates differ markedly from the position stated by BCB officials. The board’s finance committee has maintained that the BCB’s core revenue is unlikely to take a direct hit, citing long-term ICC financial agreements secured through 2027. Under this assessment, the primary financial impact would be borne by players, who would miss out on match fees, performance bonuses, and potential World Cup prize money.
In Bangladesh, sub-licensing rights are held by T Sports until 2027, with media reports indicating these payments are also contractually protected. Unless a force majeure clause is invoked, the rights fee is expected to remain payable even if matches are not televised. As a result, the BCCI’s core media rights revenue remains unaffected for now.
Pakistani Entry In The Controversy
Pakistan has thrown its weight behind Bangladesh in the ongoing T20 World Cup dispute, complicating what was already a politically and commercially sensitive situation. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister, signalled that Pakistan’s participation in the tournament is not assured.
He stated that the government will make the final call after consultations with PM Shehbaz Sharif. Naqvi criticised the ICC’s handling of Bangladesh’s removal after Dhaka refused to travel to India, framing it as unequal treatment and “double standards”, and affirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with the BCB.
An India‑Pakistan match is the most lucrative fixture in ICC events, often driving a substantial share of global broadcast and sponsorship revenue estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars; its potential cancellation would reverberate financially across broadcasters and rights holders, experts noted.
Beyond immediate commercial stakes, Pakistan faces its own financial risks if it withdraws. The PCB currently receives around USD 34.5 million (about Rs 966 crore) annually as its share of ICC revenue, revenue that could be forfeited if it boycotts the tournament, a move the ICC has warned could invite sanctions, including exclusion from bilateral series, denial of no objection certificates (NOCs) for the Pakistan Super League and potential isolation within cricket’s global calendar.
Meanwhile, India’s dominant share of ICC revenues gives the BCCI significant leverage within global cricket governance. As a result, India can afford to skip bilateral tours, absorb diplomatic fallouts, or withstand short-term controversies without meaningful financial damage. By contrast, the PCB is far more dependent on event-based income and ICC distributions. Pakistan’s inability to host consistent international cricket until recently has already weakened its commercial base.
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