India and Bangladesh were to tee off against each other in both the men’s and women’s white-ball series this year. The men had their series postponed from August 2025 to September 2026, whereas the women’s series which was planned for December 2025 will now be held only after March 2026.
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The men’s series was scrapped off due to security concerns following the toppling of the Sheikha Hasina-led government. The women’s series was called off because of the unrest in Bangladesh. This was due to a tribunal’s ruling of death sentence to Hasina, whose extradition from India has been requested by Bangladesh.
The intriguing aspect behind the cancellation of the women’s series is that even before the death sentence for Hasina was announced, the tour itself was on slippery grounds as the dates were yet to be decided. This tour could have kicked off the new Women’s ODI Championship cycle for both sides. Three T20 Internationals and three One Day Internationals were scheduled to be held at Kolkata and Cuttack.
The BCB stated that India made the move to cancel the tour to give rest to their players ahead of the Women’s Premier League. However, the factors that have contributed to the tense sporting mood between the two nations is not restricted to Hasina’s headlines. Over the course of this year, a few notable reasons explain the deteriorating relation between India and Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina: This has been the most talking point behind the tour’s cancellation. The July Revolution or the Gen Z Revolution triggered a series of uprisings which included the massacre of several protesters, economic depression, and constitutional crisis. Bangladesh has since then been an unsafe host nation for sports athletes.
India’s Archers & Footballers left stranded: Indian footballers in Dhaka were confined to a security bubble following their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Final Round Qualifier. Furthermore, India’s men’s archery team who were in Bangladesh for the Asian Archery Championships narrated the strains that they had to go through to return back to India.
In addition to a 10-hour flight delay, the eleven archers were confined in a single room with six beds and a dirty toilet.
The ACC AGM Meet: Before the men’s Asia Cup, the Asian Cricket Council’s Annual General Meeting was held in Dhaka. The BCCI had threatened to boycott the meeting following the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. The BCCI was not in favor of hosting the tournament in India and to make sure that a consensus was not reached, it is postulated that attempts were made to make Afghanistan and Oman skip the AGM. The BCCI eventually joined the meeting through a virtual platform.
Though the Asia Cup did take place and was won by India, the relations between the ACC and BCCI strongly point towards compromised tours in the South Asian region.
India’s Trade Restrictions: If Sheikh Hasina’s political rumble is not enough, India’s impositions on trade ties with Bangladesh has rubbed salt in the wounds of the turmoiled nation. India has cut down Bangladesh’s export to the Middle East by withdrawing from the transhipment facility, and has also imposed port restrictions for the export of garments and processed food items from Bangladesh.
Harman-Nigar friction: During a white-ball match between India and Bangladesh in 2023, Harmanpreet Kaur had kicked the stumps in frustration resulting from an umpire’s decision. Fast forward 2025, when pace bowler Jahanara Alam accused Bangladesh’s women’s team captain Nigar Sultana of assaulting junior players.
In her defense, Sultana said, “Why would I hit anyone? I mean, why would I strike the stumps with my bat? Am I Harmanpreet, that I would go around hitting the stumps like that? Why would I do it? In my personal space, if I’m cooking or something, I might bang my bat around, I might hit my helmet that’s my own business.”
No complaint has been filed against Sultana by the BCB for the heinous crime she is accused of. By inviting Harman’s name in the mix, she ensured that whenever the next fixture between the two teams is to happen, the sour relations off the field are likely to show their effects on the field.
India has taken a firm stand on its player’s safety. In contrast, Bangladesh’s national sides have visited India for two premier tournaments (Men’s Hockey Asia Cup & Women’s Cricket World Cup) and have enjoyed a safe and respectable outing.
When the Indian women last visited Bangladesh in 2024, they thumped the hosts 2-0 and 3-0 in tests and T20Is. As a replacement, India are now set to play Sri Lanka in the third week of December.
The five-match T20 International tournament will be held in Vishakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram.
