MUMBAI: Will India play a white-ball bilateral series against Bangladesh in September, marking the resumption of cricketing ties between the two neighbours?After nearly a year of strained diplomatic and cricketing ties, relations between India and Bangladesh may finally be back on track, with prospects for a six-match white-ball series, including three ODIs and three T20Is, looking increasingly bright. Although BCCI While he declined to comment on the matter, the latest developments suggest that the ice between the two countries and their cricket boards may have finally been broken. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday floated tenders for television and digital media rights for the proposed white-ball series.BCB, while speaking to Indian broadcasters, invited expressions of interest in the broadcast rights of their country’s international cricket matches in 2026 and 2027, with a special mention of India’s 2026 tour of Bangladesh.Political tensions between the two countries led the BCCI to “postpone” the six-match white-ball series, citing a packed international schedule last August.The postponement follows a series of developments, including Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s exit from Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL and Bangladesh’s subsequent refusal to participate in the 2026 T20 World Cup citing safety concerns.However, cricketing relations between the two countries appear to be thawing. One sign of this is the BCCI’s refusal to accommodate the Sri Lanka Cricket Association’s request to schedule three more T20Is after India play a two-Test series in Sri Lanka later next month.“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) invites expressions of interest (EOI) along with financial offers from reputed television broadcasters, digital platforms and marketing agencies/consortiums/companies to acquire global media rights for the following bilateral international home series,” the tender statement posted on the BCB website said.Notably, the confidential tender document mentions India’s proposed tour of Bangladesh, as well as scheduled home series against West Indies, England and Pakistan. The bidding process will officially begin on July 2, with a deadline of July 22.BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia recently told PTI that the Indian board is not concerned about the regime in Bangladesh and will follow the instructions of the Indian government while accepting the call for a bilateral series with the neighboring country.According to the itinerary previously announced by BCB, the Indian team is expected to arrive in Dhaka on August 28. Three ODI matches are scheduled to be played on September 1, 3 and 6, and three T20Is will be played on September 9, 12 and 13.
