India's Bangladesh tour faces fresh uncertainty as BCCI announces T20I series against Afghanistan

India's long-pending white-ball tour of Bangladesh in September faces fresh uncertainty after the BCCI announced a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi during the same period.

The India-Afghanistan series will be played on 13, 15 and 17 September, announced the BCCI and Afghanistan Cricket Board in a joint statement today (12 August).

The schedule overlaps with the window Bangladesh had proposed for India's tour.

The India-Bangladesh bilateral series, which was scheduled to be held in August last year, was postponed this year amid political unrest in Bangladesh and strained relations between Dhaka and New Delhi.

Tensions between the two countries intensified after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped by Kolkata Knight Riders from the Indian Premier League last year, prompting Bangladesh to boycott its World Cup matches in India.

Hopes of reviving the India-Bangladesh series emerged after a new BNP government came to power in Bangladesh in February following parliamentary elections.

However, the situation changed after 5 August this year, when ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina held a press conference in India, further straining relations between Dhaka and New Delhi.

Recent Indian media reports suggested that the BCCI would seek the Indian government's approval for the proposed tour of Bangladesh.

However, the scheduling of the Afghanistan T20I series in Delhi during the same window has added another complication to India's proposed Bangladesh tour.

With diplomatic tensions between the two countries also continuing, the prospects of India travelling to Bangladesh in September remain uncertain.