India’s upcoming home series against Bangladesh, featuring three ODIs and three T20Is scheduled for December as part of the ICC Future Tour Programme, is set to be pushed back, with diplomatic tensions between the two countries emerging as the principal reason behind the setback.
While exact dates and venues had not been released, the tour had reportedly been uncertain even before this week’s dramatic political turn in Bangladesh, where a tribunal court handed a death sentence to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Her refuge in India has added further friction to the already fragile relationship, intensifying Dhaka’s demand for her return and contributing to the current diplomatic unease.
Complications between the two cricket boards are not new. Earlier in August, the Indian men’s white-ball series in Bangladesh was shifted to September 2026. The latest developments now place the women’s tour under similar cloud.
BCCI officials are exploring alternative plans to ensure India’s women cricketers get game time before the next big cycle begins. A short home series is being considered for the third week of December, which would also mark the team’s first outing since their triumphant ODI World Cup campaign.
Any replacement series will necessarily be brief, given the packed calendar that follows. The Women’s Premier League is slated to get underway in the first week of January, after which India will depart for a full all-format tour of Australia—an eagerly anticipated contest following India’s thrilling semi-final victory over the seven-time champions in the recent World Cup.
India and Bangladesh last met during the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, where their clash ended in a no result. With political tensions deepening after the Bangladesh uprising, postponement of the upcoming series now appears inevitable, waiting only for official confirmation.
(Inputs sourced from Hindustan Times)
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