India’s tour of Bangladesh is now almost certain to be postponed. While there has been no official announcement yet, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has halted preparations for the upcoming ODI and T20I series scheduled for next month. If the series is indeed postponed, fans hoping to see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in ODIs will have to wait a little longer.
India was originally scheduled to play three ODIs in Bangladesh in August, where both Rohit and Kohli were expected to feature. Notably, these two stalwarts are now only seen by fans playing international cricket in the ODI format.
Now, fans may have to wait until the ODI series against Australia in October to see the Rohit-Kohli duo in action. According to a Cricbuzz report, the main reason for the postponement appears to be the increasingly strained diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh, which now seem to be affecting cricket too.
What Sparked Speculation of a Postponement?
The first sign came when the Bangladesh Cricket Board paused the sale of its media rights, which were directly linked to the India series. The technical bidding was initially scheduled for July 7, followed by financial bidding on July 10. However, the BCB has now said that they don’t want to rush and will make decisions after better understanding the market.
What Was BCB’s Original Plan?
The BCB intended to sell media rights for the two-year cycle from July 2025 to June 2027. But now, they are only focusing on selling rights for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Pakistan (scheduled from July 17–25).
What Happens Next?
It is possible that the BCCI and BCB will issue a joint statement soon. India was scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is from August 17 to 31.
Currently, the environment in India is not favourable for a tour of Bangladesh. The strained diplomatic relations between the two countries are now affecting cricket too. Although neither side has officially confirmed anything yet, sources closely involved in the series believe the Indian government has advised the BCCI against the tour.
Pakistan Hockey Team Gets Visa, But Cricket Ties Still Unclear
On Thursday, it was reported that the Indian government granted visas to the Pakistan men’s hockey team to participate in the Asia Cup scheduled in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 29 to September 7. This indicates that while the government is hesitant about bilateral series with neighbours like Pakistan and Bangladesh, it is not imposing restrictions on participation in multinational tournaments. This raises a key question — will the Indian government allow participation in the upcoming Asia Cup cricket tournament in September? The answer remains uncertain.
How Did BCB Modify Its Media Rights Plan?
Initially, the BCB planned to divide media rights into three segments:
- Satellite TV rights (worldwide including Bangladesh),
- Digital OTT rights (worldwide including Bangladesh), and
- DTH rights (only within Bangladesh).
Later, the BCB made the tender process more flexible, allowing companies to bid for global rights as a whole or for specific regions (e.g., only Bangladesh or Rest of World).