BCCI Postpones Bangladesh Women’s Series, Cites Scheduling Adjustments
Diplomatic tensions halt cricket ties after death sentence verdict.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has formally postponed the Bangladesh women’s white-ball tour of India, originally scheduled for December 2025, citing unspecified scheduling adjustments, though the decision coincides with escalating diplomatic frictions between the two nations following a tribunal’s death sentence for former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on charges of crimes against humanity. This marks the second bilateral cricket series between the countries to be deferred this year, underscoring the profound impact of political unrest on sporting engagements.
The series, comprising three One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals to be hosted in Kolkata and Cuttack, represented the International Cricket Council’s Future Tours Programme mandate and would have served as the Indian team’s inaugural competitive outing since their triumphant victory in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup earlier in November 2025. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her squad, fresh from clinching the global title in a historic home final against South Africa, now face an extended break before rejoining their franchises for the Women’s Premier League in early January 2026, followed by an all-format tour of Australia.
A BCCI official confirmed the postponement to media outlets, stating that alternative fixtures are under active consideration for the December window to ensure the world champions maintain match readiness without compromising recovery from their exhaustive campaign. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) acknowledged receipt of the formal notification and expressed anticipation for rescheduled dates, while emphasizing the mutual benefits of the original itinerary for both emerging sides in the white-ball formats.
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This development echoes the earlier deferral in August 2025 of India’s men’s white-ball tour to Bangladesh, which was rescheduled to September 2026 after discussions between the boards accounted for international commitments and the political upheaval that precipitated Hasina’s ouster and exile to India. Dhaka’s interim administration has repeatedly pressed New Delhi for her extradition, a demand that has strained bilateral relations despite ongoing participation in multilateral events such as the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup in August and the Women’s World Cup in October.
The postponement highlights the delicate interplay between geopolitics and international sport in South Asia, where cricket traditionally acts as a bridge amid discord. As the BCCI explores options like a short home series against another opponent, observers note that while multi-nation tournaments have proceeded uninterrupted—evidenced by Bangladesh’s recent seventh-place finish at the World Cup—these bilateral cancellations reflect a cautious approach to one-on-one interactions until diplomatic stability is restored.
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