Afghanistan T20Is in Delhi put India’s Bangladesh tour in doubt
Bangladesh’s planned white-ball series with India in September is in doubt after the Afghanistan Cricket Board reportedly confirmed a three-match T20I series against India in New Delhi from September 13 to 17. Bangladesh officials say they are working at the ministerial level to resolve the uncertainty and are hopeful a solution can be found.
The two sides had been due to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Bangladesh in August last year but that tour was postponed to 2026 amid geopolitical tensions. The new Bangladeshi government has sought to repair relations with India through sports diplomacy, and discussions over the proposed visit are taking place at ministerial level.
Bangladesh Sports Minister Aminul Haque said the government was optimistic progress could be made. "It is being worked on at the ministerial level. We want to quickly resolve the deadlock that was created around the Cricket World Cup. God willing, we are hopeful that it will be resolved very soon," Haque said on Monday, as quoted by AFP. "We want to resolve the matter quickly. I hope to maintain strong, friendly relations with our neighbouring country through sports. We want to smoothly navigate the current state of uncertainty. The Indian High Commissioner has met with the Honourable Prime Minister. Discussions were also held today with the Foreign Minister and the State Minister. They, too, are very optimistic that the uncertainty surrounding the last T20 World Cup can be resolved quickly. We remain hopeful that the issue regarding the Bangladesh-India series can be settled through the discussions held between the two foreign ministries."
According to Cricbuzz, ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan confirmed that Afghanistan will play three T20Is against India in Delhi from September 13 to 17. The report said Khan wrote to stakeholders that the dates had been agreed with the BCCI and the venues finalised, with the matches scheduled for September 13, 15 and 17 at New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has kept a window from August 29 to September 15 for the proposed white-ball series against India, with a revised itinerary featuring three ODIs and three T20Is. The ODIs are listed for September 1, 3 and 6, followed by T20Is on September 9, 12 and 13, and the Indian team is expected to arrive in Bangladesh on August 28.
The Afghanistan announcement creates an immediate clash with Bangladesh’s planned dates and, if both series are to proceed, would require a fresh scheduling arrangement. India have not toured Bangladesh since 2022, while Bangladesh toured India for two Tests and as many T20Is in September-October 2024.
Newly-appointed BCB president Tamim Iqbal has expressed optimism about the tour going ahead, insisting that the country is "extremely safe".
Sources told India Today that the BCCI will be able to decide on Bangladesh’s proposal, if any, only after consulting the government; if India are to fulfil both commitments the proposed Bangladesh series would require a fresh scheduling arrangement.
