Mumbai: Will India play Bangladesh in a bilateral series in September, marking continued cricketing ties between the two neighboring nations?After nearly a year of strained diplomatic and cricketing relations, ties between India and Bangladesh may finally be back on track, with prospects for the six-match series – comprising three ODIs and three T20Is – looking increasingly bright. While it is BCCI declined to comment on the matter, the latest development suggests that the ice may have finally been broken between the two countries and their cricket boards. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday announced a tender for television and digital media rights for the proposed white-ball series.Addressing Indian broadcasters, the BCB invited expressions of interest for its domestic international cricket rights for 2026 and 2027, specifically mentioning India’s 2026 tour of Bangladesh.Political tensions between the two countries led to the BCCI ‘postponing’ the six-match series, citing a busy international calendar, in August last year.The postponement was followed by a series of events, including the withdrawal of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL, and Bangladesh later refusing to participate in the 2026 T20 World Cup, citing security reasons.However, there appears to be a thawing of ties between the two nations. One indication was the BCCI’s refusal to accede to Sri Lanka Cricket’s request to schedule three additional T20Is during India’s tour of Sri Lanka later next month, after the two-Test series.The tender, published on the BCB website, said: “Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) invites Expressions of Interest (EOI) along with financial offers from reputed TV broadcasters, digital platforms and marketing agencies/consortia/companies to acquire worldwide media rights for the next bilateral international domestic series.”Namely, the confidential tender document mentions India’s proposed tour of Bangladesh, along with scheduled home series against the West Indies, England and Pakistan. The competition officially starts on July 2nd, and the deadline is July 22nd.BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia recently told PTI that the Indian board is not worried about the Bangladesh regime and will instead follow the Indian government’s directive while calling for playing a bilateral series against the neighboring nation.According to the itinerary released earlier by the BCB, the Indian team is expected to reach Dhaka on August 28. The three ODIs are scheduled for September 1, 3 and 6, while the three T20Is will be played on September 9, 12 and 13.
