Agency :
The T20 World Cup 2026 is set to take place in February-March next year, with India and Sri Lanka co-hosting the prestigious tournament.
With the mega event approaching, teams are already making strategic preparations to fine tune their squads for the shortest format.
In the lead-up to the World Cup, the Asia Cup was initially scheduled to be held in India this September.
However, recent developments suggest that the tournament might be shifted to Dubai. Since the Asia Cup will also be played in the T20I format, teams are prioritizing more T20I matches in their schedules.
As part of this approach, Bangladesh Cricket Board and Pakistan Cricket Boards have mutually agreed to replace their planned ODI series with additional T20I matches.
Initially, Bangladesh Cricket squad was set to tour Pakistan in May for a series comprising three ODIs and three T20Is. However, under the revised schedule, the ODIs have been scrapped, and the series will now consists of five T20I matches.
Additionally, Pakistan was scheduled to tour Bangladesh in July for a three-match ODI series outside the Future Tours Programme (FTP).
This series has also been converted into a T20I series.
The three T20Is are expected to be played in Mirpur on July 20, 22, and 24, just before Pakistan’s West Indies tour.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh will not play any ODIs before their Sri Lanka series in June, with their next T20I assignment scheduled in May against Pakistan.
Currently, Bangladesh’s national cricketers are participating in the Dhaka Premier League following the conclusion of the Champions Trophy.
The team will shift focus to the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe, with preparations set to begin on April 11. The first Test will commence on April 20 in Sylhet, followed by the second Test in Chattogram from April 28.
