“We Wanted to Play”: Bangladesh Captain Opens Up on Painful World Cup Exit

The Bangladesh cricket team did not want to pull out of the T20 World Cup. But they had no say in the final decision.

Captain Litton Das recently opened up about how the team felt when their government told them it wasn’t safe to play in India. In a candid interview, he shared that the players actually pushed the officials to let them take part.

Litton Das Trolls Pakistan🗣️

“Our Goverment told us there was no safety in India. Our players told them, ‘we played in Pakistan too. In Pakistan guards used to stand outside the room with guns. What can be more dangerous than that.”

What’s your take 😅 pic.twitter.com/wYdelluVl3

— Fan Account Richard Kettlebourogh (@RichKettle07) June 9, 2026

They even pointed to their tours of Pakistan, which felt safe, and wondered why India would be any different. But the message from the top was clear: no guarantees on security.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) withdrew the team from their Group C matches scheduled in Kolkata and Mumbai. The government cited rising tensions, including the timing of Mustafizur Rahman‘s IPL release, as part of the bigger concern.

Once Bangladesh pulled out, the ICC moved quickly. Scotland took their place in the group.

The cost of skipping the tournament was heavy; no shot at the Super Eights, a loss of $450,000 in prize money and World Cup spot handed to another team.

Litton Das made it clear that the squad wanted to focus only on cricket, not politics. According to him, the decision was made without asking the players. That hurt.

“The team wanted to go and play. We felt we could compete,” he said.

                                               

Relevant news