India’s tour of Bangladesh is set to be postponed again. It was scheduled to take place in September, but that the two boards are still discussing the future of the series.
As per the earlier discussions, the tour is scheduled to begin on September 3, which is only two weeks away. However, there’s no sign of any development as of now.
Notably, the Men in Blue are due to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Dhaka and Chattogram. However, Tamim indicated that the dates are not yet fully settled and may be shifted here and there, based on what BCCI decides.
“Both boards remain in discussion about the India series. The dates may be shifted here or there. This tournament is being held in Mirpur, but it can be shifted to the Basundhara ground in two minutes. If the India series is locked and fixed, we will schedule it accordingly,” Tamim said.
Meanwhile, the former cricketer made the comments while announcing the Game Development Trophy, which is an age-group tournament whose schedule currently runs from August 28 to September 9. All its matches have been allocated to the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
The tournament prompted questions about whether its schedule indicated that India would not be travelling to Bangladesh. Tamim said the age-group competition could be moved if the bilateral series is finalised, leaving room for the India fixtures.
The history and the present
India’s tour had originally been planned for August last year but was deferred to September 2026. The BCB announced in January that the itinerary would comprise six matches, although the BCCI has not made a public announcement about the tour.
The uncertainty comes after relations between the two cricket boards deteriorated significantly following the announcement of the series. The Kolkata Knight Riders withdrew Mustafizur Rahman from the current IPL season, after which the Aminul Islam-led BCB refused to send Bangladesh to the T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India.
The relationship has since shown signs of improvement. Tamim, who became BCB president, travelled to India earlier this month and reportedly visited the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Soon after that, India confirmed the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in New Delhi, which is another reason why it is believed that the series against Bangladesh is set to be postponed to a different date.