NEW DELHI, July 05 (Agencies): India's six-match white-ball cricket tour of Bangladesh next month has been postponed to 2026, both cricket boards said Saturday.
The series, including three one-day and three T20 matches, had been due to start on August 17 in Dhaka.
Political relations between India and Bangladesh have turned frosty since a mass uprising last year in Dhaka toppled then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have "mutually agreed to defer" the series, the statement read.
It said the decision was made "taking into account the international cricketing commitments and scheduling convenience of both teams", without giving further details.
It added that Bangladesh's BCB "looks forward to welcoming India in September 2026", with exact fixtures to be released later. There is deep anger in Dhaka at the fate of Hasina, who escaped a student-led uprising by helicopter in August 2024 and flew to New Delhi.
Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August last year, according to the United Nations, when Hasina's government ordered a crackdown on protesters in a failed bid to cling to power.
Elections are expected in early 2026.
The postponement of the tour seemed inevitable, given the ongoing diplomatic standoff between the two countries. Relations have visibly and perceptibly got strained in recent times, with the Indian government adopting a tough stance toward its eastern neighbour. Security concerns also appear to be a factor, although the joint statement makes no mention of it. The first signs of tour's postponement came when the BCB paused the sale process of its media rights for the next two years. Needless to say the India tour is an unfettered cash cow and the BCB was waiting for a formal nod from the BCCI to announce the resumption of the process.
The postponement of the tour has been taken by the BCCI after consultations with the Government of India. The BCCI though is still non-committal over the major fixture of the year, Asia Cup. The BCCI is consulting the government over that too, particularly on the issue of having any engagement with Pakistan, with whom the country was involved in a war in May. There is a prevailing impression that the government, which aspires to host the Olympics in 2036, is open to allowing the Indian teams to participate in multilateral competitions, but not necessarily in the bilateral matches. The recent approval for the Pakistan hockey team to compete in the Asia Cup in India next month is seen as an extension of this policy.
The Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in the UAE from September 10 to 27, and stakeholders of the continental championship remain confident that the tournament will go ahead as planned. However, a top BCCI official, when contacted by Cricbuzz, refused to confirm either way.
