T20 WC row overshadows India's Olympic ambitions

India hopes next month's T20 World Cup will bolster its credentials as a global sports host--and the country’s Olympic ambitions--but preparations have been rocked by a diplomatic row with Bangladesh and accusations of political interference.

- Agence France-Presse

With barely two weeks until the tournament, Bangladesh have effectively been forced out after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected a request to move their matches from India to co-hosts Sri Lanka, citing security concerns.

“Our only demand is to play the World Cup -- but not in India,” Bangladesh Cricket Board President Aminul Islam Bulbul told reporters on Thursday, adding that without a change of venue, the team would not participate.

India is preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, seen as a stepping stone to the 2036 Olympics.

But the chaotic buildup to the T20 World Cup has cast a shadow over those ambitions, especially with cricket returning to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028.