BCCI to seek Government of India clearance for proposed Bangladesh tour
On August 9, 2026, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said it will approach the Government of India for permission and clarity over the proposed Indian tour of Bangladesh, with a top BCCI source adding the board cannot decide on the matter alone.
A top BCCI source told India Today, "We are working on it and will seek permission and clarity as far as the Bangladesh tour is concerned. We can't take any decision on our own at this stage. No decision has been taken yet, but we will soon approach the government." The Bangladesh Cricket Board has written to the BCCI and remains in regular contact, and the BCB has kept a window from August 29 to September 15 for the white-ball series.
The revised itinerary released by the BCB schedules three ODIs on September 1, 3 and 6 and three T20Is on September 9, 12 and 13, with the Indian team expected to arrive in Bangladesh on August 28; the tour is subject to the Government of India's guidance and clearance.
Tensions earlier this year prompted the current uncertainty. In January the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who had been bought by KKR for Rs 9.20 crore at the December 2025 IPL auction and was the only Bangladesh player selected that year; BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the decision was taken amid the "recent developments" in the two countries.
The BCB reacted by ruling that its national team would not travel to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup, citing security concerns and advice from the Bangladesh government, and it asked the ICC to move Bangladesh's matches out of India. The Bangladesh government also ordered an indefinite suspension of the broadcast and promotion of the IPL in the country following the Mustafizur controversy.
India had originally been scheduled to tour Bangladesh in August 2025 for three ODIs and three T20Is, but that series was deferred to September 2026; the BCCI and BCB officially cited international commitments and scheduling convenience for the postponement, a move that came amid wider diplomatic tensions between the two countries and made the revised series a test for cricketing relations.
The BCB has continued to press for the series to go ahead and has sought to use sports diplomacy to ease tensions, maintaining contact with the BCCI as both boards await a clearance decision from the Indian government.
"No decision has been taken yet, but we will soon approach the government," the BCCI source said, confirming the next step is to seek central government guidance before the proposed September series can be confirmed.
