Bangladesh signals U-turn on IPL telecast ban, open to airing IPL 2026 if broadcasters apply
The previous government in Bangladesh had moved to stop IPL telecasts before the February elections, a decision that came after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from his contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders on the directive of the BCCI.
- Mar 28, 2026,
- Updated Mar 28, 2026 4:16 PM IST
Bangladesh has signalled a shift in its stance on broadcasting the Indian Premier League, indicating it may allow the telecast of the 2026 season if broadcasters show commercial interest — a move seen as an attempt to ease strained cricketing ties with India following tensions ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
According to a report by Sportstar, the Bangladesh government has softened its earlier position that effectively blocked IPL broadcasts in the country.
“We don’t want to mix politics with sport,” Bangladesh’s newly appointed information and broadcasting minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said. “No one applied to us to telecast the IPL. We will look at it from a commercial perspective, and if any channel applies to telecast the IPL, we will consider it positively.”
Swapan added that the league’s official broadcaster, Star Sports, would also be free to air the matches if it chooses to do so.
“We will not bar anyone from telecasting it. If Star Sports want to telecast it, they can. If any of our channels want to telecast it, we will take it positively, but we will not force anything,” he said.
IPL ban and diplomatic friction
The previous government in Bangladesh had moved to stop IPL telecasts before the February elections, a decision that came after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from his contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders on the directive of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
While the Indian cricket board did not publicly provide a detailed explanation for the termination, the move coincided with widespread protests in India over reported attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.
The episode triggered tensions between the two cricket boards and spilled over into international cricket. Bangladesh later declined to travel to India for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, citing security concerns and requesting that their matches be moved to Sri Lanka, a co-host of the tournament.
The International Cricket Council rejected the request, eventually replacing Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament lineup.
Dhaka’s latest stance suggests the government may be looking to reset sporting relations with India, particularly around cricket — a sport with massive viewership and commercial value across South Asia.
Bangladesh has signalled a shift in its stance on broadcasting the Indian Premier League, indicating it may allow the telecast of the 2026 season if broadcasters show commercial interest — a move seen as an attempt to ease strained cricketing ties with India following tensions ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
According to a report by Sportstar, the Bangladesh government has softened its earlier position that effectively blocked IPL broadcasts in the country.
“We don’t want to mix politics with sport,” Bangladesh’s newly appointed information and broadcasting minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said. “No one applied to us to telecast the IPL. We will look at it from a commercial perspective, and if any channel applies to telecast the IPL, we will consider it positively.”
Swapan added that the league’s official broadcaster, Star Sports, would also be free to air the matches if it chooses to do so.
“We will not bar anyone from telecasting it. If Star Sports want to telecast it, they can. If any of our channels want to telecast it, we will take it positively, but we will not force anything,” he said.
IPL ban and diplomatic friction
The previous government in Bangladesh had moved to stop IPL telecasts before the February elections, a decision that came after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from his contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders on the directive of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
While the Indian cricket board did not publicly provide a detailed explanation for the termination, the move coincided with widespread protests in India over reported attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.
The episode triggered tensions between the two cricket boards and spilled over into international cricket. Bangladesh later declined to travel to India for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, citing security concerns and requesting that their matches be moved to Sri Lanka, a co-host of the tournament.
The International Cricket Council rejected the request, eventually replacing Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament lineup.
Dhaka’s latest stance suggests the government may be looking to reset sporting relations with India, particularly around cricket — a sport with massive viewership and commercial value across South Asia.