The whole saga involving Bangladesh’s boycott of the T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, could have a detrimental effect on India’s long-term ambition of hosting the Olympics.
According to a report by The Guardian, their chances of hosting the games could be affected if these bilateral tensions are not resolved soon.
INDIA’s OLYMPIC BID
India has been public in their ambitions of hosting major sporting events. Earlier in November, Ahmedabad was officially announced as the host for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. In addition, there have been open admissions of how the government is looking to push for a bid to host the Olympics as well in 2036.
T20 WORLD CUP SAGA: IN SHORT
Political tensions between India and Bangladesh were on the rise. This comes after the death of a Hindu man in the country, which thereby led to pressure in the IPL, considering Mustafizur Rahman being picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the auction beforehand.
But after a directive by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, KKR eventually released the player.
This, in turn, led to Bangladesh’s retaliation by boycotting the T20 World Cup, citing security concerns. But despite requesting the International Cricket Council, the decision eventually came down to a vote, with 14 member nations voting against Bangladesh’s game being moved out of the country. Following the vote and Bangladesh’s refusal to travel, they were subsequently replaced by Scotland.
IOC’s ZERO-TOLERANCE OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE
The IOC will not be as tolerant as the ICC, with an unnamed source reportedly suggesting that India’s chances of getting the hosting rights would be ‘unthinkable’ if there were chances that other nations would boycott the event altogether.
The governing body is expected to act independently of commercial or political interests, but also not to put racial or religious aspects into consideration, thus maintaining a stance of neutrality.
IS THERE A WAY FORWARD?
This does not mean that this is the end of the road for India’s dreams of hosting the Olympics. In fact, the report suggests that there can be ways to get themselves back up to speed.
The source reportedly suggests that they would need to improve their relations with both Bangladesh and Pakistan to show that they can indeed be a credible host.
– Ends
