Shock call: Nation pulls out of T20 World Cup amid India tensions

Bangladesh is officially out of the T20 World Cup after withdrawing on the eve of the tournament beginning next month.

With the event held in India and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh had requested to have their four scheduled group matches in Kolkata, and Mumbai moved away from India amid tensions between the two nations.

The ICC denied that request to have their games played in Sri Lanka, and as a result, Bangladesh held firm on their stance to refuse to tour India.

"ICC had denied us our request to shift our matches away from India,” Bangladesh Cricket Board President Aminul Islam Bulbul said.

“We are not sure about the status of world cricket. Its popularity is going down. They have locked away 200 million people.

“Cricket is going to the Olympics but if a country like us is not going there, it is ICC's failure.

“We will keep fighting. There were some shocking calls in the ICC Board Meeting. We want to play the World Cup. But we won't play in India"

Cricketing tensions between the two nations came to a head in early January when the BCCI ordered IPL franchise Kolkata to release Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman due to political tensions between the two nations.

His sacking sparked fury in Dhaka, ultimately leading to this decision from the BCB.

Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the tournament, with Group C also including England, West Indies, Nepal and Italy.