Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's return delayed as India tour of Bangladesh faces political hurdle
Published - 02 Jul 2025, 04:48 PM | Updated - 02 Jul 2025, 05:34 PM
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India’s much-anticipated white-ball tour of Bangladesh, which was set to mark the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, is now likely to be delayed due to political issues. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both have retired from Test and T20I cricket, and they are now only active in ODI cricket.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are set to make a comeback in the national colors in the upcoming Bangladesh series, but it seems that they will not be seen in action until October, when the Indian cricket team will travel to Australia for the three ODIs and five T20Is.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's return delayed as India’s Bangladesh tour faces a political roadblock
Actually, the Bangladesh-India series is all set to be rescheduled, making the Australia tour clearer for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s return to the action in Indian colors. They last played for India in March when they won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai, UAE.
It is being said that India’s upcoming white-ball tour of Bangladesh, originally scheduled for August, is pending clearance from the Indian government due to recent political tensions and diplomatic uncertainty between the two nations.
The tour includes three ODIs and three T20Is and is a part of the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP). The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has confirmed that the tour won’t be cancelled as it is part of the ICC’s FTP, but it might be rescheduled to a later date that suits both boards.
India's tour of Bangladesh may be rescheduled: BCB
The BCB revealed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already hinted at a possible postponement of India’s tour of Bangladesh. However, there is no official update on the new dates yet. This delay means fans may have to wait longer to see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back in action for India.
BCB media committee chairman Iftikhar Rahman was quoted as saying by AFP, “The tour is part of the FTP, so cancellation is not an option. But it may be rescheduled to a mutually convenient time.”
However, the BCCI hasn’t made any official announcement yet regarding the Bangladesh tour, but Indian media speculated that the ongoing political tensions between the two countries are the main reason behind the delay in the confirmation of the series.
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Are Sheikh Hasina's ouster and Pakistan link behind the delay?
The political unrest in Bangladesh that led to the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 was among the reasons behind the tensions.
It is also being said that Bangladesh’s tilt toward Pakistan during the military attacks over the Pahalgam attack was seen as a major issue behind the delay.
And then, the Hindus in Bangladesh have been tormented by the locals, which only made things worse. Now, it remains to be seen whether BCCI gets the clearance from the government.
Notably, India and Bangladesh last played a bilateral series in India during September–October 2024, which included two Test matches and two T20Is.
Now, with only a few weeks left before the originally scheduled dates, BCCI and BCB are expected to meet and discuss a new window to hold the series.
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