'They’ll have a fruitful discussion' - Shakib Al Hasan confident of India-Bangladesh cricket resumption

Published - 30 Apr 2026, 09:20 IST | Updated - 30 Apr 2026, 09:48 IST

Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who recently reversed his Test and T20I retirement, is confident that there might be a resumption in the cricketing ties between India and Bangladesh sooner than later.

The senior cricketer, who is also a former member of the Bangladeshi parliament, expects that the arrival of new and fresh governance will help get things back on track. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will have clear and peaceful communication once the former conducts its elections.

“I think things will start to get better… A new government came in. I think they’ll take the right decision in terms of cricket. Also, our cricket board election is supposed to happen sometime soon. Once that happens, I think they’ll have good communication with not only India but also with all other boards. They’ll have a fruitful discussion, and they’ll take things forward,” Shakib was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

The first instance of things getting bitter between the two nations occurred when the BCCI had forced an ouster of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders' squad ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026. Following this, Bangladesh declined to travel and play their T20 World Cup matches in India, thereby withdrawing from the global event.

The situation, however, has shown signs of improvement from Bangladesh's side, more so after their home board realised the losses they might incur by opting against the stronghold of Indians. Very recently, the BCB had contacted the Indian board to reinstate the cricketing ties between them.

"We maintain regular communication with various countries’ cricket boards. As part of that, we recently wrote to the Board of Control for Cricket in India,” BCB's director of cricket operations Nazmul Abedin Fahim had said, as per IE.

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One of the last bilateral assignments between the two countries took place back in 2024, when the Bangla Tigers were hosted by the Men in Blue for a T20I series. The neighbouring nations had also clashed during the Men's T20 Asia Cup in 2025. Both were slated to play a bilateral series in Bangladesh in August 2025, but the series was postponed until further notice and currently stands in ambiguity until further notice.