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India’s women’s tour of Bangladesh is set for a pause, with the December series likely off amid rising diplomatic tensions between the neighbours and fresh political flashpoints.
The India Bangladesh series was scheduled for December. (Picture credit: AFP)
After the India-Bangladesh men’s series in August, a women’s rubber between the countries is also set to be postponed. According to The Hindustan Times, the three ODIs and three T20Is rubber, which was set to be played in December and is part of the ICC Future Tour Programme, will not go ahead due to the ‘prevailing diplomatic tensions between the two governments’.
The report said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is exploring a backup plan for a brief home series in the third week of December, India’s first outing since the recent 2025 ODI World Cup triumph. If finalised, it will be a compact window, with the Women’s Premier League slated for early January. Soon after, India will tour Australia.
The men’s team was supposed to play a similar series in August, soon after the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, but it was delayed indefinitely. CNN-News18 had at the time reported that the reason was cancelled due to diplomatic tensions between the two countries, but the BCCI and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) didn’t mention it in their official joint statement, instead promising ‘revised dates’ which are yet to be released.
“This decision has been reached following discussions between the two Boards, taking into account the international cricketing commitments and scheduling convenience of both teams,” the release read. “The BCB looks forward to welcoming India in September 2026 for this eagerly anticipated series. Revised dates and fixtures for the tour will be announced in due course,” it added.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have grown increasingly strained in the wake of the Bangladesh uprising. Dhaka’s demand for the return of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now sheltering in India, has sharpened the diplomatic edge.
Adding to the friction are India’s newly imposed curbs on Bangladeshi exports, mounting unease in New Delhi over Beijing’s expanding footprint in Bangladesh, and long-standing disagreements over sharing the waters of shared rivers.
The relations took another bitter turn when, on Monday, a Bangladesh tribunal sentenced Hasina to death.
November 17, 2025, 23:36 IST
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