India tour of Bangladesh may be delayed again, BCB chief Tamim Iqbal says

BCB president Tamim Iqbal told reporters in Dhaka that India's scheduled six-match tour of Bangladesh could be pushed back again, saying discussions between the two boards are ongoing. The opening one-day international is currently listed for September 3, and the uncertainty has forced the Bangladesh Cricket Board to keep its domestic schedule flexible.

The proposed tour comprises three ODIs and three T20Is and was moved last year from August 2025 to September 2026 after an earlier postponement. The BCCI has not publicly confirmed the itinerary, leaving the BCB to allow for changes as talks continue. Tamim said the boards remain in discussion about the series and that dates “may be shifted here or there.”

The BCB has scheduled a Game Development Trophy for age-group players at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur from August 28 to September 9, a window that overlaps with India’s proposed visit. The competition will involve Under-17, Under-19 and Under-23 players. Tamim said the domestic tournament would not obstruct the India series and added: “This tournament is being held in Mirpur but it can be shifted to the Basundhara ground in two minutes. If the India series is locked and fixed, we will schedule it accordingly.”

The match programme has had a complicated trajectory: it was originally due in August 2025 before being postponed by a year, after which the BCB announced a revised plan comprising three ODIs and three T20Is to be played in Dhaka and Chattogram. The absence of a public confirmation from the BCCI has left the tour's status unresolved and prompted continued scheduling caution within the BCB.

Relations between the two boards have been strained this year, first after an episode involving Kolkata Knight Riders and Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman, and then when Bangladesh declined to travel to India for the T20 World Cup. Tamim said there have been signs of a thaw since his appointment as BCB president; he travelled to India earlier this month and reportedly visited the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

The BCB is also reassessing the Bangladesh Premier League amid financial and administrative problems, and Tamim indicated the tournament may not take place this year. “I don't think BPL will be held this year. I don't want to organise the BPL this way,” Tamim said, noting the board suffered losses of around 40 crore Bangladeshi Taka, roughly Rs 31 crore, over the past two editions. He said the BCB is working with franchises on outstanding payments and bank guarantees and added: “If it takes six, 12 or 24 months to do it properly, I will take that time.”

For now, Tamim said the immediate priority remains the India series; with September 3 still the proposed opening date, the BCB will continue to reshuffle its calendar until the two boards reach a final agreement on whether the tour will proceed as planned or be moved again.