Bangladesh has reaffirmed its confidence that India will travel for the scheduled white-ball series in September, with the country’s government placing its faith in sports diplomacy to help strengthen cricketing ties following a period of political tension between the neighbouring nations.
Speaking to reporters in Dhaka on Tuesday, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque stressed that Bangladesh remains committed to welcoming India later this year and believes ongoing diplomatic engagement can help ensure the series proceeds as planned.
“The current government is giving utmost importance to sports diplomacy. And since cricket is a status symbol for us, since we have a very strong position in world cricket, in that regard, we firmly believe that there has been a tension over a past incident, the World Cup cricket, we have already spoken to the Indian Embassy, they have also spoken to us, they are all waiting for India to come to Bangladesh in September.”
Bangladesh remains optimistic over September series
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has continued to prepare for the six-match tour, which is scheduled to feature three One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals after the original series was deferred amid tensions between the two countries.
The board has also kept the September window available by postponing a planned tour of Ireland and has previously indicated it is prepared to strengthen security arrangements if required.
The series carries significance beyond the cricket field, with Bangladesh viewing the visit as an opportunity to reinforce sporting ties with one of the game’s biggest markets while demonstrating that bilateral cricket can continue despite recent diplomatic challenges.
Previous uncertainty surrounding the tour
As previously reported by cricexec, fresh uncertainty emerged around the proposed series after the Bangladesh Cricket Board paused its worldwide media-rights process despite initially launching the tender for its 2026-27 home international programme, which included India’s tour.
The BCB later explained that the Expression of Interest documents had not been released because it was reassessing the market following a slight change in plans, while maintaining that the delay was not linked specifically to India’s proposed visit. At the same time, discussions over scheduling and approval have continued, with optimism remaining that the series will go ahead.
Aminul believes India’s arrival can help move relations forward, adding: “After arriving, I think that we will overcome the tension that was there (between the two countries) over a small incident in the past and hopefully our sports diplomacy, our communication, our movement, everything will continue with our neighbouring country.”
The bilateral series was originally scheduled to take place last year before being postponed, but recent developments have strengthened Bangladesh’s belief that the fixtures can now be staged in September. If the tour proceeds as planned, it would represent not only the resumption of an important cricketing contest but also a significant example of sport helping rebuild engagement between the two neighbouring countries.
