India tour of Bangladesh on track? BCB Chief leans on friendship with BCCI President for white-ball series

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Former Bangladesh captain and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Tamim Iqbal is hopeful the board’s relationship with neighbour India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will improve. Due to political tensions, India’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh was postponed in July 2025.

India was set to play ODIs and T20Is in August 2025, but it was postponed to September 2026. Then, in January 2026, the BCCI banned Mustafizur Rahman from featuring for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 after uproar from the public and India’s ruling party over the lynching of a Hindu man after allegations of blasphemy.

Subsequently, the IPL’s coverage was banned in Bangladesh, and the BCB withdrew from the T20 World Cup 2026, citing fear for players’ safety in India. It was expected that the tour would be cancelled. However, it was mellowed down in the coming months. In March, it was reported that BCB expects India to play 6 matches from September 1 to 13.

IND vs BAN series on?

Tamim, who was labelled an ‘Indian agent’ by a member of the last BCB board, took over in April and is hopeful the relationship with the BCCI will mend in the coming months. The former opener believes he’ll work something out since he shares a good friendship with current BCCI President Mithun Manhas and ensures the safety of Indian players in Bangladesh.

“I was probably the first to speak out when the (T20) World Cup issue happened. What was done, how it was handled by the previous Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) administration, was not right. The ICC was lenient, there was room to find a solution. We should have found it.

Let me go back to 1996-97 — how much we fought to win that ICC trophy against Kenya just to qualify for the World Cup. My house was floating in coloured water. People celebrated in the streets. That celebration brought kids into cricket — everybody wanted to be Minhajul Abedin Nannu, Khaled Mashud, Akram Khan. And we gave away a World Cup without even having a proper dialogue. There might be players in that squad who will never play in a World Cup again. That I did not take nicely.

Regarding BCCI — I have played a lot of cricket with (current BCCI president) Mithun Manhas. In the IPL, we were in the same team, he has come to Bangladesh many times to play in Dhaka leagues. Very good rapport. I haven’t had the chance to sit with him in this capacity yet, but I know him well. The country’s security is absolutely brilliant at the moment. There is no issue, no security threat — and it has never been for the Indian cricket team. When India comes here, the whole stadium is packed. People love that contest. I personally don’t think BCB and BCCI have any real issues anymore. A series here would be a great way to take the next step forward,” Tamim told the Indian Express.