The International Cricket Council has drawn a line in the sand. In a massive ultimatum that could shake up the upcoming T20 World Cup, the global body has told the Bangladesh Cricket Board to either honour its scheduled matches in India or face immediate replacement. The deadline: January 21, as per ICC sources.

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The situation has reached a boiling point, but to understand this standoff, we have to rewind a few weeks. The tension didn't start on the cricket pitch; it began with serious political unrest. Reports of violence against minorities in Bangladesh sparked severe backlash across the border in India, creating a heavy atmosphere of distrust between the two neighbours.

The first major cricketing casualty was star pacer Mustafizur Rahman. On January 3, the BCCI reportedly asked the Kolkata Knight Riders to terminate Mustafizur’s contract, citing "developments all around." For Bangladesh, this was a direct slight. The BCB didn't take it lying down. In a retaliatory move, they officially banned the broadcast of the upcoming IPL season in Bangladesh, severing a major cricketing connection.

Things escalated quickly from there. Citing the hostile environment and the Mustafizur incident, the BCB formally wrote to the ICC, expressing "security concerns" about travelling to India. They demanded a venue swap, asking for their group-stage games in Kolkata and Mumbai to be moved elsewhere, similar to how India’s matches were shifted out of Pakistan for the Champions Trophy earlier.

But the ICC isn’t budging. With the tournament set to kick off on February 7, organisers have made it clear: the schedule is locked. They see no valid security threat that warrants such a drastic change at the eleventh hour.

Now, the clock is ticking. The BCB has less than 48 hours to decide. If they stubbornly refuse to board the flight to India, the ICC is ready to bring in a lower-ranked team to take their place. According to a few sources, they can be replaced by Scotland based on the rankings.

For Bangladesh cricket, the stakes couldn't be higher: play the game, or watch the World Cup from home.