The situation is all too familiar. Calls are growing for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to snap bilateral ties with an Asian country due to the current political climate. Protests are hitting the road, and certain individuals are being targeted if they go against the current tide. When have we heard that before? Just like Pakistan, India’s ties with Bangladesh are at risk of hitting an all-time low, with the situation reaching a crescendo on Saturday morning after the BCCI secretary, Devajit Saikia, ordered the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad.
Mustafizur Rahman not to feature in IPL 2026 for KKR. (REUTERS)
Why did the BCCI make this call? KKR, co-owned by Shah Rukh Khan, acquired Rahman for INR 9.20 crore in the mini auction in Abu Dhabi, following a bidding war with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals. The past week saw KKR and Shah Rukh being targeted by several politicians for going against the country’s mood and signing a Bangladesh player. The last 15-20 days have witnessed multiple incidents in Bangladesh where Hindus have been killed, and this has resulted in anger growing among people in India. KKR faced severe criticism for signing a Bangladesh player. However, when the auction took place in December, no such incident was reported in Bangladesh.
Even if KKR had wanted to release Mustafizur from its squad amid public outrage, IPL regulations would not have permitted it. The league’s rulebook bars franchises from releasing a player once he has been picked at the auction, unless the decision comes from the BCCI or the player himself. This is why the BCCI had to step in. However, Mustafizur’s release from KKR has triggered a ripple effect across the border. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is considering writing to the ICC, seeking to move its T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns.
The bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh are at their lowest, with a real possibility that the two countries may not play any series against each other in the near future, despite the BCB announcing India’s arrival in the country later this year for three ODIs and T20Is. If India and Bangladesh stop playing bilateral cricket, the situation would mirror that of India and Pakistan, who last contested a bilateral series in 2012–13, when Pakistan toured India for a white-ball assignment.
Will India tour Bangladesh?
The Mustafizur freeze is a footnote compared to a larger uncertainty looming in the background. The BCB announced on Friday that India would arrive in Dhaka on August 28 for six white-ball matches scheduled between September 1 and 13. However, it is reliably learnt that the BCCI has yet to make anything official regarding the Bangladesh tour, with the final call dependent on receiving the necessary government clearances. A former BCCI official spoke to Hindustan Times on the condition of anonymity, explaining why the BCB’s schedule for the series against India doesn’t hold much weight.
“The Bangladesh Cricket Board announced the home season just like every other team. But the BCCI can only travel to Bangladesh if they get the go-ahead from the government,” the official said. “The desired permissions and clearances are always needed in such cases, and it all depends on how the situation unfolds in the coming few months,” he categorically stated.
It’s worth noting that the India-Bangladesh series was originally scheduled for August 2025 but was postponed to September 2026 amid a diplomatic standoff. At the time, however, the official statement cited the international calendar as the reason, without mentioning any political tensions to the media or fans.
“(We) have mutually agreed to defer the white-ball series, three ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals, between Bangladesh and India in August 2025 to September 2026,” the two boards said in a joint statement. “This decision has been reached following discussions between the two Boards, taking into account the international cricketing commitments and scheduling convenience of both teams,” the statement added.
Considering the recent developments, it wouldn’t be surprising if the BCCI cancels the Bangladesh tour again. And if it were to happen, the situation would echo the familiar stalemate between India and Pakistan that has persisted for the past decade.