India’s next visit to Bangladesh on the scheduled line of next month may come again with doubts lingering over whether the series they are proposing can get started.
India also have three ODIs and three T20Is next up in Bangladesh, the first of which will be held on September 3. However, blades to the BCCI are still ongoing as Bangladesh Cricket Board president Tamim Iqbal confirmed on Sunday that Bangladesh is still in talks with the BCCI which puts it under 14 days of the proposed start date.
That both boards are still discussing the dates for the Indian series with the possibility of change, Tamim said in a press conference in Dhaka.
New questions arose when the BCB revealed the calendar for its new age-group competition, the Game Development Trophy. The tournament is now set to take place at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur from August 28 to September 9, falling right in the middle of the proposed Indian tour.
However, Tamim said he believed that the domestic competition could be shifted if the India series are played out. If the bilateral series is fixed, the tournament can be moved at short notice to the ground of Bashundhara and the plan will be fixed in that case, he said.
The original plans to tour India from August 2025 were revised to September 2026. Later, the BCB announced the 6-match schedule is in Dhaka and Chattogram. However, the BCCI have not officially confirmed the schedule yet leaving the series in some confusion.
Tensions had earlier erupted between the two cricket boards after the decision by Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman to withdraw from the IPL, and then the Bangladesh team decision not to attend T20 World Cup co-hosted by India this year.
Since Tamim assumed the role of President of the BCB things seem to be improving in relationships. He went to India earlier this month and his visit included a trip to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Final finalization of dates and schedule of India’s Bangladesh tour is yet to be decided, despite discussions that are ongoing.