🏏 T20 World Cup Twist: Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram in Venue Mix

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Key Takeaways

1📊 Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup venues remain officially unresolved
2🏆 Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram are being considered as hosts
3💡 BCB prefers Sri Lanka, citing player safety and political tension
4🔮 Final call could reshape group dynamics and fan atmosphere in 2026

"Bangladesh have insisted their matches be shifted to Sri Lanka, a request the ICC is unlikely to accommodate"

The venue saga around Bangladesh at the upcoming T20 World Cup has taken a distinctly subcontinental turn, with Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram emerging as potential hosts amid a standoff between the ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

With the tournament barely weeks away, there is still no clarity on whether Bangladesh will travel to India for their scheduled group fixtures. The BCB has formally pushed for all their games to be shifted to Sri Lanka, citing player safety concerns in the backdrop of political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram enter the World Cup conversation

Even as the BCB holds its ground, the global body is exploring alternate options – and indications are that these options are unlikely to be in Sri Lanka. Instead, the focus has turned towards India’s southern coast.

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) have been sounded out about the possibility of hosting Bangladesh’s matches, putting MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram firmly on the radar.

From an Indian fan’s lens, these would be blockbuster choices. Chennai is a fortress of spin, famous for low, turning tracks and noise levels that rival any venue in the world. Thiruvananthapuram, meanwhile, has quickly built a reputation for its electric atmosphere and modern facilities, often giving the Men in Blue a real home-cooked advantage.

For Bangladesh, though, this is about more than conditions. The board’s insistence on Sri Lanka underlines how seriously it views security and optics back home. Yet with the ICC keen to avoid a precedent of team-specific venue vetoes, the standoff has become a high-stakes game off the field.

Fans now wait for a final call that could reshape the tournament’s early narrative. If Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram do get the nod, the World Cup will gain two of India’s most passionate cricketing cauldrons – and Bangladesh will face a decision that tests both their resolve and their World Cup ambitions.