Published: 09:42 AM, 23 August 2026
India's Bangladesh tour remains uncertain as boards discuss dates
India's tour of Bangladesh remains uncertain with less than two weeks to go before the proposed start of the six-match white-ball series.
BCB President Tamim Iqbal on Thursday said the two boards were still discussing the schedule, raising the possibility of another change to the dates. "Both boards remain in discussion about the India series. The dates may be shifted here or there," he said.
Bangladesh are due to host India for three ODIs and three T20Is from September 1 to 13, with the first ODI scheduled for September 3. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to publicly confirm the tour.
The BCB's decision to schedule the Game Development Trophy in Mirpur from August 28 to September 9, overlapping the proposed India series, has further added to the uncertainty.
Tamim said the tournament will not stand in the way of the India matches. It could be moved to the Bashundhara ground if the tour is confirmed.
The India series was originally scheduled for August 2025 but was postponed by the BCCI amid strained relations between the two countries. The BCB announced the revised schedule in January, but the BCCI has not made a similar announcement.
India's schedule adds another complication. They are currently playing a two-Test series in Sri Lanka before hosting Afghanistan for three matches on September 13, 15 and 17.
Relations between the BCB and BCCI have improved since Tamim took over as president. Earlier this month, he visited the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru in what was seen as an effort to repair ties between the boards.
Earlier, Tamim said the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will not be held in the 2026-27 season as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) works to overhaul the tournament after years of financial losses, rule violations and problems with franchises, BCB President Tamim Iqbal said on Thursday.
"I do not think so. BPL is not happening this year," he told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur when asked about the upcoming season.
Tamim said the BCB had lost about Tk 40 crore over the past two years while dealing with problems involving franchises. He said the board should be making money from franchise cricket, not losing it.
"Until we fix this, doing a tournament at a loss is not important," he said.
The decision, the BCB chief said, was meant to give the board time to fix the competition rather than rush into another season with the same problems, noting that the process could take six to 12 months, if necessary.
Tamim, who is also chairman of the ICC's franchise cricket committee, said Bangladesh needs to run its own franchise tournament properly.
"If my own country's franchise cricket is not running properly, stopping it and rebuilding it will be a big message for my committee," he said.
The BCB president said he can quickly put together five teams but will not do so simply to hold the tournament.
"What is important to me is fair cricket and maintaining the dignity of the BCB," he said, adding that he was prepared to face criticism over the decision.
The absence of the BPL will hurt players financially, Tamim acknowledged. He said he will have been disappointed in their position but argued that the tournament needs to be put on a sound footing.
The BCB plans to complete the franchise selection and other institutional processes by April-May, with the aim of bringing back the BPL under a long-term model next year.
