India, Bangladesh postpone cricket tour amid frosty ties

India's highly anticipated six-match white-ball cricket tour of Bangladesh, originally slated for next month, has been postponed to 2026, both cricket boards confirmed on Saturday.

Both the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the deferral, citing "international cricketing commitments and scheduling convenience for both teams" as the reason.

The series, comprising three one-day internationals and three T20 matches, was scheduled to commence on August 17 in Dhaka. However, a joint statement from the two cricket boards announced that they have "mutually agreed to defer" the fixtures, without giving further details.

It added that Bangladesh's BCB "looks forward to welcoming India in September 2026", with exact fixtures to be released later.

Political relations between India and Bangladesh have turned frosty since a mass uprising last year in Dhaka toppled then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

There is deep anger in Dhaka at the fate of Hasina, who escaped a student-led uprising by helicopter in August 2024 and flew to New Delhi.

Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August last year, according to the United Nations, when Hasina's government ordered a crackdown on protesters in a failed bid to cling to power.

Elections are expected in early 2026.