Bangladesh's double standards exposed! Local umpire officiates India's T20 World Cup warmup match

Bangladesh umpire spotted during India vs South Africa game [Source: @ragav_x/X.com]

Bangladesh cricket was left ashamed as a Bangladeshi umpire, Shahid Saikat, was seen officiating in the India vs South Africa T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up clash.

Just weeks ago, the Tigers created an unnecessary fuss about alleged ‘security concerns’ in India and were banned from the tournament by the ICC. But now, one of their own umpires has switched the entire narrative.

Bangladesh left red-faced during India vs South Africa warm-up game

India took on South Africa in the 10th warm-up game of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on February 4, 2026, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The men in blue opted to bat first after winning the toss.

However, a particular moment caught the eye of the fans. The stand-in umpire for the game, Shahid Saikat, turned out to be a Bangladeshi national. 

This comes after Bangladesh refused to participate in the tournament hosted by India, citing security concerns. BCB argued that their players, staff and officials will not be safe in India due to political threats.

After ICC quashed their request to shift venues out of India, Bangladesh withdrew from the tournament, and Scotland replaced them in Group C.

However, just weeks after creating this chaos, Bangladeshi umpires not only travelled to India safely but also officiated in the warm-up game involving the host country.

This has certainly switched the narrative, and Bangladesh will be left red-faced. They’re already facing the threat of potential sanctions for disrupting an ICC tournament.

Shahid Saikat earlier officiated in India’s ODI game as well

Interestingly, this is not an isolated incident. Shahid Saikat had earlier officiated in the first ODI between India and New Zealand in Vadodara as a TV umpire. 

At that time, the Bangladesh Cricket Board had made its position clear. It said it had no role in Saikat’s appointment for the match. 

According to BCB officials, Saikat is an ICC-contracted umpire and works independently of the board when on international duty. His ICC assignments do not require any permission or No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the BCB. 

The board had stressed that Saikat was simply doing his job as part of the ICC Elite Panel. Shortly after that, the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request to move its T20 World Cup matches out of India, keeping the original schedule intact despite the political noise. 

What’s next for Bangladesh cricket?

Following the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland for the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the BCB announced a new domestic tournament, the ODOMMO Bangladesh T20 Cup 2026, to fill the vacant window. 

Scheduled from February 5 to 9, the competition featured three teams, such as Dhumketu XI, Durbar XI and Duronto XI, led by Litton Kumar Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Akbar Ali, respectively.

The BCB stated that the tournament was designed to be competitive, with total prize money and player fees worth Tk 2.5 crore. 

The event also introduced the Impact Player rule and included fan-friendly ticket prices. A fitness camp at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium preceded the tournament, while experienced coaches were appointed for all three teams.