Afghanistan series emerges as new obstacle to India's tour of Bangladesh

The possibility of the Indian cricket team visiting Bangladesh has grown even dimmer. Amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Bangladesh tour, the schedule for India's T20I series against Afghanistan has been made public. According to information published by the cricket-based website Cricbuzz, a three-match T20I series between India and Afghanistan is set to begin on September 13. This schedule directly conflicts with the proposed timeframe for India's tour of Bangladesh put forward by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

Under the BCB's annual series planning, India was scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on August 28 to play three ODIs and three T20Is. According to the BCB's proposed timeline, all six limited-overs matches were scheduled to take place between September 1 and September 13, with the final T20I slated for September 13.

However, Cricbuzz reported that the India-Afghanistan T20I series will begin on September 13 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The second and third matches of the series are scheduled for September 15 and September 17, respectively. Although the matches will be played on Indian soil, the series is being hosted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

Cricbuzz reported that it obtained a letter sent by the ACB to its commercial partners, in which the board's Chief Executive Officer, Naseeb Khan, confirmed that Afghanistan's tour of India is scheduled to take place from September 13 to September 17. The letter also noted that the schedule and match venues were finalized in consultation with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Meanwhile, India's series against Afghanistan begins on the exact final day of the BCB's proposed schedule. Consequently, it is impossible for India to play series in two different countries simultaneously under the current circumstances. Even if India were to send a team to Bangladesh on August 28 as initially planned, they would have to finish all six matches by September 13 and immediately prepare for the Afghanistan series.

The proposed time for the Bangladesh tour is also fast approaching, with less than three weeks remaining before the scheduled start date. Unless there is an unexpected decision from the governments of both countries at the last minute, it appears increasingly likely that India's tour of Bangladesh will be canceled.