Bangladesh eye alternate series after India postpones August tour

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has begun exploring the possibility of organising an away series during the now-vacant August window, following India's decision to postpone their scheduled tour of Bangladesh.

The home series, originally scheduled for August 17 to 31, 2025 and featuring three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), has been rescheduled for September 2026.

The postponement came after the Indian government advised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to delay the tour due to rising political tensions between the two countries.

Speaking to the media in Dhaka, BCB Director Fahim said the board is actively looking for opportunities to play abroad during the unexpected gap in the international calendar.

"For that period, we were initially considering internal matches, similar to when the 'A' team played against the national side in previous years. That was part of our earlier planning," Fahim explained.

He further stated that the BCB remains flexible and is prepared with contingency plans.

"Right now, we are assessing whether it's feasible to organise a series with another team abroad, even for a short duration. If that doesn't materialise, we will conduct a domestic tournament instead," he added.

The BCB is expected to finalise its alternative plans soon, aiming to ensure that players remain engaged and match-fit despite the disruption to the schedule.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh is scheduled to host 49 international matches in the current Future Tours Programme (FTP) cycle concluding in May 2027.

These include eight Test matches, two each against Ireland, Pakistan, West Indies, and England along with 20 ODIs and 21 T20 Internationals.