India set to tour Bangladesh for white-ball series? BCB’s media-rights bid signals improved ties with BCCI

The bilateral ties between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have displayed signs of improvement, and anticipation is building over whether India will tour Bangladesh for a white-ball series.

On Wednesday, the BCB took a significant step forward by formally opening the bidding process for TV and digital broadcasting rights for the Men in Blue’s potential visit, signalling renewed momentum in cricketing relations between the two boards.

The BCCI and BCB had agreed to defer India's tour of Bangladesh, which was set to happen last year due to strained diplomatic relations between the nations. The Mustafizur Rahman fiasco led to more issues, igniting further tension in the lead-up to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

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BCB opens bids for India's tour of Bangladesh

In a unique development, the BCB has formally opened bids from TV and digital broadcasters for the media rights of Bangladesh's upcoming series. The tours include India's white-ball tour of Bangladesh in 2026, featuring a three-match ODI and three-match T20 series.  

The tour also includes a two-match Test series against West Indies, a two-match red-ball series against England and a five-match ODI series against Pakistan at home.

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"The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) invites Expressions of Interest (EOIs), along with financial offers, from reputable TV broadcasters, digital platforms, marketing agencies, consortiums, and firms for the acquisition of the Worldwide Media Rights for the following bilateral international home series involving the Bangladesh National Cricket Team (Men), to be hosted in Bangladesh during 2026–27," BCB mentioned in a statement.

BCCI remain non-committal

While BCB opened bids for a white-ball series against India, BCCI's stance remained non-committal over the matter. Secretary Devajit Saikia made it clear that the board's role is limited to managing cricket and does not handle political matters between countries. They would follow the government's decision on their participation in bilateral and international sporting events.

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"The BCCI is a cricket-controlling board, and we have nothing to do with what is going on politically in other countries. As the BCCI, we follow whatever policy the Government of India has in place regarding participation in bilateral and multinational sporting events," Saikia said to PTI.

The India tour of Bangladesh does not have an official date, but reports indicate that it could take place in the September 2026 window.