Bangladesh’s sports minister looks to mend ties with India post World Cup exclusion
Aminul Haque took office this month and said he wants to “resolve this issue quickly”, referring to Bangladesh‘s non-participation at the ongoing men’s T20 World Cup.
He met the deputy high commissioner of India at the Parliament building after taking his oath. “It was a cordial conversation,” he said. “We want to resolve this issue quickly through discussions because we want to maintain friendly relations with all our neighbouring countries.”
Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland at the T20 World Cup, after the previous government decided not to send the team to India and requested that their matches be moved to Sri Lanka. The sequence of events began when the Indian government asked Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL squad; it ended with the ICC excluding Bangladesh from the tournament.
On 9 February the ICC announced it would not penalise the Bangladesh Cricket Board. The board was also offered the right to host an out-of-turn ICC event before the 2031 men’s ODI World Cup.
“From sports to all other sectors, we want to build a sincere and cordial relationship [with India],” Aminul said. “Because of diplomatic complications, we could not play in the World Cup. If those issues had been discussed earlier, our team might have participated.”
India is scheduled to tour Bangladesh in September 2026 for three ODIs and three T20Is, a tour that was postponed from August 2025.
Background of the World Cup exclusion
The current geopolitical landscape led to Bangladesh’s exclusion from the World Cup, following the previous government’s decision influenced by India’s move to have Kolkata Knight Riders drop Mustafizur Rahman, the sole Bangladeshi player in IPL 2026. This decision culminated in Bangladesh opting to compete in Sri Lanka instead, which the ICC responded to by replacing them with Scotland. The ICC, however, has chosen not to impose penalties on Bangladesh for their withdrawal.
The International Cricket Council reassured Bangladesh by granting them an ICC event hosting right prior to the 2031 ODI World Cup, providing a significant diplomatic and sporting concession amid these disputes.
Upcoming India-Bangladesh series could cool tensions
Despite these tensions, India is slated to tour Bangladesh in September 2026 for a series of white-ball matches, a tour originally postponed from August 2025. The series includes three ODIs and three T20Is and predates the recent discord. Aminul Haque emphasized the importance of this tour as a means to foster goodwill and rebuild sports diplomacy.
“From sports to all other sectors, we want to build a sincere and cordial relationship [with India],” Haque added while acknowledging that earlier diplomatic discussions could have resolved these issues, potentially allowing Bangladesh to participate in the World Cup.
As diplomatic efforts continue, the future of India-Bangladesh cricket ties remains pivotal for regional sports relations. Fans and officials alike are hopeful that the upcoming series will serve to renew friendly relations between these cricket-loving nations.
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