India’s White-Ball Tour of Bangladesh in August Faces Delay Over Government Clearance

India’s upcoming white-ball cricket tour of Bangladesh, scheduled for August 2025, may be rescheduled due to a delay in governmental clearance, a senior Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official confirmed on Wednesday.

The six-match tour, which includes three One Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals, is set to begin on August 17 in Dhaka. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly informed the BCB that the series might need to be postponed.

While the BCCI has not issued any official statement regarding the development, BCB media committee chairman Iftikhar Rahman clarified the situation. “The tour is part of the FTP (International Cricket Council’s Future Tours Programme), so cancellation is not an option. But it may be rescheduled to a mutually convenient time,” Rahman told AFP, though he did not provide a revised timeline.

BCB insiders indicate the delay stems from the tour’s requirement for approval from the Indian government, a standard protocol for international sporting events involving Indian teams. Indian media outlets have also echoed these reports, underscoring the bureaucratic hurdles currently at play.

The uncertainty arises in the backdrop of recent diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Dhaka. In August 2024, mass protests in Bangladesh led to the ousting of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, straining the historically close ties between the two South Asian neighbors. The fallout from those events appears to be influencing cross-border engagements, including sporting fixtures.

Despite the current diplomatic friction, cricketing relations between the two countries had remained active until recently. Bangladesh had completed a tour of India in September–October 2024, playing two Test matches and two T20 Internationals, signaling normalcy in bilateral cricket ties at that time.

The possible rescheduling of the August series now casts a shadow over those efforts, though officials on both sides appear committed to ensuring the matches take place eventually. The BCB remains hopeful that a new schedule can be worked out in coordination with the BCCI once the required clearances are obtained.

As of now, players and fans await further clarity, with both boards expected to engage in continued discussions to finalize the fate of the tour.