Having pulled out of the men’s limited-overs series in August 2025, Team India’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh could after all go ahead in September 2026. In a rather surprising development, as reported by Cricbuzz, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has put the television and digital media rights of the series up for sale, meaning the series could likely be on the cards.
Why did the BCCI postponed the Bangladesh tour in 2025?
The tour of Bangladesh was initially slated to take place in 2025; however, it was postponed to September 2026, owing to escalating political and diplomatic tensions and seemingly security concerns arising in Bangladesh. In a report published by Cricbuzz on July 1, Wednesday, the BCB communicated with the Indian broadcasters and sought their interest of broadcasting the home internationals for 2026 and 2027 alongside mentioning the series against India. The tender accessed by Cricbuzz states:
“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) invites Expression of Interest (EOI) along with financial offers from reputable TV Broadcasters, Digital Platforms and Marketing Agencies / Consortiums / Firms for acquiring the Worldwide Media Rights of the following Bilateral International Home Series.” On top of the list is the mention of the India series.”
With Bangladesh also undergoing a political upheaval since then, the government and both BCB administration have undergone a change. Both BCB and BCCI haven’t commented on the development yet; however, the latter’s secretary Devajit Saikia underlined that they would proceed according to the advice of the Indian government. Along with the series against India, the other ones include West Indies and England playing two Tests each in 2026 and 2027, while Pakistan squaring off in five ODIs.
India, however, will face a challenge of accommodating the tour, given there is also Asian Games and the home series against the West Indies.
When did Team India last tour Bangladesh?
Meanwhile, the Men in Blue last toured Bangladesh in December 2022, playing three ODIs and a couple of Tests. The hosts won a closely-contested 50-overs series 2-1, while India won both the Tests.
The Bangla Tigers have indeed become a formidable one-day side, especially at home, capped off by recent ODI series wins over New Zealand and Australia. Hence, it would be a good challenge for both sides, especially ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
