India’s tour of Bangladesh is off. The series scheduled for August has been cancelled due to political tensions between the two countries.
What was supposed to be a normal cricket series has become a victim of regional unrest.
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A formal statement will come from both BCCI and Bangladesh Cricket Board soon but the decision has been taken behind closed doors.
The series was to have three ODIs and three T20Is from August 17 to 31. It would have seen the return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma who now mostly play ODIs.
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But now the players, the broadcasters and the fans are left waiting. Indian broadcasters have already been told the tour won’t happen. Even the media rights auction planned by BCB has been put on hold.
The fall of the Sheikh Hasina government has created security concerns. India-Bangladesh relations have also taken a hit.
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With protests and tension rising BCCI is not ready to send the team under such conditions. And it’s not just about cricket anymore it’s about safety and diplomacy.
Sources say the boards will call it a “postponement” not a cancellation. But let’s be honest there’s no new date in sight.
BCB which was supposed to sell media rights for all home matches till 2027 has now stopped that process. For now they’ll only sell rights for the Pakistan T20I series in July.
This was supposed to be the first time we’d see Kohli and Rohit back in Indian colours since the T20 World Cup. That’s not happening now.
Their next likely appearance will be in the Asia Cup in September which as of now is still on schedule.
India doesn’t play bilateral cricket with Pakistan and now the Bangladesh tour has also been hit.
Recently coach Gautam Gambhir even said India should avoid Pakistan in multination tournaments too.
This just shows how much politics is affecting cricket in the region. The India-Bangladesh series is “postponed” but the message is clear: when politics heats up cricket cools down.
For fans it’s a big letdown. For players it’s a delay. And for cricket boards it’s another reminder off-field matters can change everything.
