The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup begins today in Sri Lanka and India. Although the tournament build-up has been dominated by chaotic off-field developments -- with Bangladesh being replaced by Scotland following a row with the ICC and Pakistan boycotting their high-stakes group-stage clash against India in solidarity with Bangladesh -- here is a snapshot of the 20 teams participating in the marquee event.

International cricket tournaments have often been disrupted by political tensions and security fears, leading teams to refuse travel to host nations. From 1996 ICC World Cup to 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, many teams have refused to travel to host countries, citing different reasons that resulted in walkovers and replacements. There is also an instance of introducing a hybrid model when India refused to travel to Pakistan in the 2025 Champions Trophy. The instances are given below:

The 10th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins today in India and Sri Lanka against the backdrop of a chaotic build-up dominated by political turmoil, which eventually saw Bangladesh replaced by Scotland and Pakistan boycotting their high-stakes group-stage fixture against arch-rivals India in solidarity with Bangladesh.

Former England captain turned cricket pundit Nasser Hussain said he supported Bangladesh’s stance of not travelling to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup and praised Pakistan for standing by Bangladesh.

The T20 World Cup begins on Saturday in India and Sri Lanka, with a chance for fresh faces to shine in the global spotlight.

The Sydney Morning Herald, citing industry sources involved in confidential negotiations, reported that each India-Pakistan game carries an estimated value of around USD 250 million, given its billion-plus global audience.

The ICC and the World Cricketers Association (WCA) are locked in a fresh dispute over player terms, including name, image and likeness (NIL) rights, ahead of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, reports ESPNCricinfo.

The former England opening batter, Mark Butcher, has backed the ICC’s decision to remove Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup 2026 after the latter refused to travel to India due to security concerns.

Sri Lanka will deploy elite armed units to protect teams at next month's T20 World Cup, part of enhanced security measures with a special emphasis on matches between perennial rivals India and Pakistan, officials have told AFP.

International sport depends on a simple bargain: athletes accept risks, including physical and monetary, but governing bodies accept responsibility.

Had everything gone according to plan, this would have been one of Phil Simmons’ busiest periods. He would have travelled with the Bangladesh team to the World Cup venue and begun final preparations ahead of the global tournament.

South Africa great AB de Villiers said that Bangladesh’s exclusion from the upcoming T20 World Cup presents a “bad look” for cricket and that the situation should never have been allowed to reach such a stage.

Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf criticised the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to replace Bangladesh in the upcoming T20 World Cup, set to be played in Sri Lanka and India from February 7, questioning its “fairness”.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) president Mohsin Naqvi on Monday said he had briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the “International Cricket Council (ICC) matter”, adding that a final decision would be taken either on Friday or next Monday.

Bangladesh’s hopes of featuring in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ended yesterday after the International Cricket Council confirmed Scotland as their replacement for the tournament, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7, according to cricket website, Cricbuzz.

As of yesterday, International Cricket Council has not responded to Bangladesh Cricket Board’s latest letter seeking the intervention of ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee to review the board’s request to relocate the national team’s matches in next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup from India.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally communicated with the International Cricket Council (ICC), reiterating its position on relocating Bangladesh’s matches outside India and requesting that the matter be referred to the ICC’s independent Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC).

Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul yesterday said there was no scope to send the national team to India for next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup stressing that the decision was taken solely by the government on security grounds.

Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul today said as the security situation in India has not changed, there is no scope for the Bangladesh team to travel there to compete in the ICC T20 World Cup.