India's Tour of Bangladesh Set to be Cancelled: Know the Reason

Indian men’s cricket tour of Bangladesh, scheduled for August 2025, is set to be cancelled for now. The tour is supposed to include three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is). The matches were scheduled between August 17 and August 31, but the series will not happen as planned.

So, why has the India Bangladesh series cancelled? As per the reports, the main reason for this change is the political unrest in Bangladesh. Recent events in the country have created major security concerns. The fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government has led to serious tension within the country.

This unrest has also caused diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh. Their relationship has become strained due to the ongoing crisis. Considering the circumstances, the Indian government and the BCCI are not confident about sending players to Bangladesh at this time.

India Bangladesh Series Called Off

A joint statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is expected soon. The boards are likely to call the change a “postponement” and not a cancellation. This means they hope to reschedule the tour at a safer time. As of now, no new dates have been announced.

The BCB was planning to sell media rights for all home matches between July 2025 and June 2027. The sale was supposed to happen in two parts: technical bidding on July 7 and financial bidding on July 10.
However, that sale has been put on hold. The board will instead focus on selling rights only for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Pakistan, which is scheduled between July 17 and 25.

Indian broadcasters have already been told that the India-Bangladesh series will not go ahead as planned. The BCB has not issued an Invitation To Tender (ITT) for that series either. This clearly shows that the tour is no longer on the board’s immediate schedule and is likely to be cancelled for now.

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma’s Comeback Delayed

The postponed series for the India tour of Bangladesh 2025 could also delay the return of two senior Indian players, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Both players now only play in ODIs and were expected to feature in this tour. Fans who were hoping to see them back in action will now have to wait. However, the stars may still feature in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which is expected to take place in September.

While this bilateral series is postponed, India and Bangladesh could still play against each other in the Asia Cup. That tournament is likely to go ahead as per schedule. The rivalry between India and Bangladesh has grown stronger in recent years. Both teams are among the top-ranked sides in Asia. India already does not play any bilateral cricket with Pakistan due to political and border tensions. All matches between the two teams now happen only in ICC or ACC tournaments.

There were even suggestions from some Indian officials to stop playing against Pakistan in multi-nation tournaments. Gautam Gambhir, India’s new head coach, also spoke publicly about this idea. But for now, India is still scheduled to face Pakistan in the 2025 Asia Cup. Also, the India and Pakistan women’s teams are expected to clash in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, which will be hosted in India and Sri Lanka.