Despite speculations about the postponement of India’s tour of Bangladesh in August, the white-ball series is likely to go ahead as planned. With deteriorating diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh since the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in August last year, the fate of the IND vs BAN series looked bleak.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn’t discussed a plan to postpone the tour. India will play three ODIs and as many T20Is starting August 17. If the tour goes ahead, both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will return to ODIs for the first time since announcing Test retirements. But India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is doubtful after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia.
“At the moment, the series is on. We haven’t had any discussions regarding postponement or cancelling the series. We haven’t had any instructions from the government either on cancelling the series. If such a situation arises, we will take a call accordingly,” a BCCI official told InsideSport.
IND vs BAN series back on track
The new Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which underwent an overhaul of its officials, announced the schedule in April. The ODIs will begin on August 17 in Mirpur and will end on August 23 in Chattogram. The three-match T20I series will begin on August 26 and end on August 31.
India haven’t won an ODI series in Bangladesh since 2014. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma back in the side, this will be India’s chance to win and end an 11-year jinx. The last time India played a three-match ODI series in Bangladesh, Rohit Sharma-led India suffered a 1-2 series defeat.
India have never played a bilateral T20I series in Bangladesh. This will be the first time that the defending World T20 champions will play a three-match T20I series in Bangladesh. In the most recent T20I series against Bangladesh at home, India cruised to a 3-0 series win.
Suryakumar Yadav doubtful
However, if the IND vs BAN T20 series goes ahead as scheduled, India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav might miss out. Suryakumar recently underwent a successful surgery for a sports hernia in the lower right abdomen in Munich, Germany. He is expected to be fit in two months, which will make him doubtful for the IND vs BAN T20I series. If he is not fit by then, Axar Patel is likely to lead the team.
While India’s Test captain Shubman Gill is the vice-captain of the T20I team, he is likely to be rested along with the players from the Test side that is touring England.
The IND vs ENG Test series ends on August 4. In two weeks’ time, the IND vs BAN ODI series will begin. Hence, most of the Test players are likely to be rested, including Gill, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah. Instead, it will be a chance for head coach Gautam Gambhir to try out a few players in the ODIs, in preparation for the World Cup 2027.
However, if the Asia Cup 2025 goes on as scheduled in September, the BCCI selection committee might recall some of the players for the T20I series. The Asia Cup will be the only multi-national tournament before the T20 World Cup 2026. Team India will play 15 more T20Is following the Bangladesh series. Hence, there is a chance that the BCCI rests all players in India’s squad for England, barring a few.
