Scotland have confirmed immediate travel plans to India after being named as Bangladesh’s replacement at the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The team will take part in the 20-team tournament under unusual circumstances. This will be Scotland’s sixth appearance at a T20 World Cup.
The decision was finalised on Friday after an important ICC meeting in Dubai. The meeting was chaired by ICC chairman Jay Shah. Bangladesh had earlier informed the ICC that they would not take part in the tournament. The Bangladesh Cricket Board cited security concerns and said their worries were not properly addressed.
Cricket Scotland thanks ICC as team prepares for sixth World Cup appearance
The ICC later gave Bangladesh a security clearance and waited for them to change their position. However, the BCB refused to alter its decision. With no other option left, the ICC officially invited Scotland to take Bangladesh’s place.
Scotland were chosen based on ICC rankings. They did not qualify directly through the European qualifiers. Richie Berrington and his team will now compete in Group C. The group includes the West Indies, Italy, England, and Nepal.
Scotland will play three group matches at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. They will also play one match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The group stage will test them against strong opponents in Indian conditions.
Cricket Scotland chief executive Trudy Lindblade confirmed the decision in an official statement.
“Earlier today I received correspondence from the ICC asking if our men’s team would play at the Men’s T20 World Cup, and we have accepted. We are grateful to the ICC for extending this invite. This is an exciting opportunity for Scotland’s players to compete on the global stage in front of millions of supporters. We also acknowledge this opportunity has arisen out of challenging and unique circumstances,” she said.
“Our squad have been training for some weeks in preparation for upcoming tours and are now preparing to arrive in India imminently to acclimatise to local conditions, ready to play and contribute to what should be a fantastic ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” he added.
In the 2024 edition, Scotland impressed many fans. They pushed Australia hard and troubled England in the group stage. England later qualified for the Super Eight on a better net run rate than Scotland.
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