Bangladesh and India battle to save cricket series after political turmoil

What the report says

Bangladesh is trying to keep a planned six-match white-ball cricket tour against India on track next month, with officials from both countries brought into discussions to preserve the series, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing AFP. The tour would include three one-day internationals and three T20 matches and was first scheduled for August last year before being delayed amid strained bilateral ties.

The reported diplomatic tension follows Bangladesh’s 2024 mass uprising, which removed then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Al Jazeera reports that Hasina fled to India, where she remains in hiding, and that relations between Dhaka and New Delhi have since been uneasy. Bangladesh Sports Minister Aminul Haque said the issue was being handled at the ministerial level and that the foreign ministers were involved in talks.

The report also notes that Bangladesh declined to travel to India for a T20 World Cup fixture in February, citing security concerns. When Bangladesh asked to play those matches in Sri Lanka, the International Cricket Council rejected that request and Scotland replaced Bangladesh. The current effort to salvage the India tour suggests cricket has become another point of contact in a broader political dispute.

India last toured Bangladesh in 2022, winning the Test series 2-0 while Bangladesh took the ODI series 2-1. Bangladesh then toured India in late 2024 for two Tests and two T20s, and India won both formats.