The long-awaited white-ball series between Bangladesh and India is not cancelled yet, but is likely to be postponed again. In a press conference, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Tamim Iqbal informed reporters that they are still in communication with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with the aim of hosting the series.
India was scheduled to tour Bangladesh in August last year. The tour was later pushed to September 2026, but it did not take place due to political reasons. Since taking charge as the BCB head, Tamim Iqbal has been trying to convince BCCI and both of the nations' governments to give the proposed series clearance.
India-Bangladesh series is seemingly not possible in September 2026
While BCB was hopeful to arrange the series in September this year, a fresh political debate is believed to have dented Iqbal-led BCB's efforts. The fresh political debate surrounds a virtual press conference of the former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who held the virtual press conference from Delhi.
In the meantime, when Tamim Iqbal was pushing hard to organize the bilateral series with India, media reports confirmed that the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is all set to host the Indian cricket team at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium for a brief T20I series in August.
Bangladesh Cricket Board President Tamim Iqbal is still hopeful about an India vs Bangladesh series in Bangladesh
BCB aimed to host India in August. As Afghanistan is reportedly set to host India in the same month, a series against Bangladesh remains in jeopardy. However, Iqbal refused to say that their recent efforts are in vain.
"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 Iqbal said at a press conference in Dhaka.
At the press conference, the BCB head announced an age-group tournament, the Game Development Trophy. August 28 to September 9 is fixed to arrange the newly announced tournament at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
Why is an India vs Bangladesh series not possible now?
As the age-division tournament is from the last week of August to the second week of September, the chances of seeing an India vs Bangladesh series at the same time instantly became zero. Bangladesh previously proposed to host India from September 3.
As the third week of August has already begun and the India vs Afghanistan first T20I series will be on September 13, it automatically put a red flag on Team India's possible tour to Bangladesh.
The relationship between Bangladesh and the Indian cricket board was expected to be on the right track again when Iqbal reportedly visited India at the BCCI's Center of Excellence in Bengaluru earlier this month. But the press conference of Sheikh Hasina complicated the political situation again.
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