Amid escalating political tensions, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly put India’s upcoming tour of Bangladesh on hold. The development comes shortly after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced that the Indian team would visit Bangladesh in September this year for a three-match ODI series followed by a T20I match.
According to a report, the BCCI will now wait for the Government of India’s approval before confirming the tour officially.
“We didn’t travel to Bangladesh last year either. Although the BCB had included India in their international calendar, the tour looks uncertain as we require Indian government’s approval before playing in any foreign country. However, Bangladesh will participate in the T20 World Cup in India as scheduled,” a senior BCCI official was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding Bangladesh cricketer Mustafizur Rahman has also added pressure. On Saturday, BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release the pacer from their IPL 2026 squad — a directive to which the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise agreed.
The move follows growing public and political backlash in India over the recent killing of a Hindu man in Bangladesh. Shah Rukh Khan and KKR management had also faced criticism for retaining Mustafizur, who was bought for ₹9.20 crore at the IPL mini-auction, making him the only Bangladeshi player picked this season.
Confirming the development, KKR issued a statement saying:
“Kolkata Knight Riders confirms that BCCI/IPL as the regulator of IPL has instructed it to release Mustafizur Rahman from the squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The release has been carried out following due process and consultations, upon the instruction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.”
This situation draws parallels with India’s long-standing stance on Pakistan, where players from the neighbouring nation have been barred from IPL participation for years due to strained diplomatic relations. India has also not toured Pakistan for a bilateral series since 2006 for similar reasons.
With the situation still evolving, the final call on India’s Bangladesh tour now rests on the government’s approval, while cricketing and political sentiments continue to remain intertwined.