Amid escalating tensions between India and Bangladesh, a major development has come to light. According to reports, the BCCI has banned Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from participating in the IPL. This decision has reportedly left the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) deeply upset.
BCB has formally informed the ICC that it will not travel to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup and has demanded that its matches be shifted to a neutral venue. Not only that, Bangladesh has also completely stopped the broadcast of the IPL within the country.
This raises the biggest question — will this decision cause any significant damage to the IPL or the BCCI?
What Do Experts Say?
Industry experts believe that Bangladesh’s move will have little to no impact on the IPL’s revenue or its global brand value. Speaking to Business Standard, three media and sports industry experts stated that:
- Revenue from Bangladesh constitutes only a very small portion of the IPL’s total earnings
- Viewership impact will also be minimal, as only two or three Bangladeshi players were active in the IPL last season
The Numbers Tell the Story
- The BCCI signed a massive ₹48,390.32 crore media rights deal with Disney Star and Viacom18 for the 2023–2027 cycle
- In Bangladesh, T Sports was the official IPL broadcaster
- Estimates suggest the five-year Bangladesh broadcast deal was worth around ₹26 crore
- Three years of that deal have already elapsed
Conclusion
Considering these figures, it is clear that the suspension of IPL broadcasts in Bangladesh will have a negligible impact on the IPL’s overall revenue. The league’s strength lies in its massive global fanbase and multi-billion-dollar media rights deals, not in viewership from a single country.
