New Delhi, 22 March (H.S.):

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has put its planned September 2026 tour of Ireland on hold so it can focus on preparing to host Team India later this year. The move clears a key international window and highlights Bangladesh’s priority on staging a high‑profile bilateral series against India as it looks to build towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.

According to a BCB official speaking to Cricbuzz, the proposed tour of Ireland has been postponed because the board wants to use that same period for India’s visit. Cricket Ireland has informed BCB that it will not be able to reschedule the series within 2026, leading both boards to agree on deferring the Bangladesh tour.

The teams are expected to find a new window, with most reports pointing to 2027 as a likely period for the bilateral series.

India’s tour of Bangladesh, originally slated for 2025, was postponed amid political instability, security concerns and tense diplomatic conditions in the region. With the visit now eyeing the August–September 2026 window, Indian players could arrive in Bangladesh around late August, subject to formal government approvals. The proposed itinerary includes three ODIs followed by three T20Is, forming a full‑fledged white‑ball assignment.

The BCB official said once the India series was shifted from 2025 to September 2026, the board asked Cricket Ireland if the Bangladesh tour could be moved to another date within 2026, but was told that Ireland’s calendar was already packed. With neither side able to fit the series in that timeframe, both boards decided to postpone the tour and work together to identify a fresh set of dates.

Bangladesh, currently ninth in the ICC men’s ODI team rankings with 79 rating points, is coming off a recent 2‑1 ODI series win over Pakistan at home. The top‑eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings as of 31 March 2027 will qualify directly for the World Cup, while the rest must go through qualifiers.

That makes every bilateral series, including the India tour, crucial for Bangladesh’s chances of securing an automatic berth.

With the Ireland tour kept on hold, Bangladesh is now fully turning its attention to hosting India and ensuring smooth preparations across venues, security and broadcasting, aiming to deliver one of the most important white‑ball series in its recent cricketing calendar.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar