Bangladesh Hopeful of Hosting India in September 2026 as Cricket Tour Moves Closer
Bangladesh hopes to host India in September 2026 for six white-ball matches as both nations look to rebuild ties through cricket.
Bangladesh is hopeful of hosting India for a white-ball series in September 2026 as both countries look to use cricket to improve ties through sports diplomacy.
The tour, which includes three One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals, was originally scheduled for 2025. However, it was postponed because of diplomatic tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) now believes the series is back on track after India’s revised schedule left enough room for the Bangladesh tour following the Sri Lanka series. Bangladesh last hosted India in December 2022.
Even with growing optimism, a few questions remain. The BCB recently paused the sale of media rights for the series after issuing a tender, leading to fresh uncertainty over the tour’s final confirmation.
Bangladesh officials, however, remain confident that the series will go ahead. The country’s Sports Ministry said it has been in regular contact with the Indian Embassy and sees the tour as an important step in improving relations between the two nations.
“The current government is giving utmost importance to sports diplomacy. And since cricket is a place of prestige for us, since cricket has a very strong position in our world cricket…we have already spoken to the Indian Embassy, they have also spoken to us and they are all waiting for India to come to Bangladesh in September,” a Sports Ministry official said.
The ministry also expressed hope that cricket would help ease tensions between the two countries.
“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 official added.
The BCB has also said it is prepared to strengthen security arrangements for the Indian team if required. Security has remained a key topic after Bangladesh earlier withdrew from the T20 World Cup in India, citing safety concerns. At the same time, a government committee in Bangladesh is investigating the circumstances surrounding that decision.
If the September tour goes ahead as planned, it will mark the return of bilateral cricket between the two countries in Bangladesh after nearly four years and could become an important moment in rebuilding sporting ties.
