NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a U-turn has decided to attend the Asian Cricket Council’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, the Hindustan Times reported on Wednesday.

The ACC meeting taking place in Dhaka will decide the fate of this year’s Asia Cup, which India is scheduled to host in September.

Sources within the BCCI have confirmed that the board has indeed decided to attend Thursday’s meeting virtually.

“Yes, we have decided to attend the meeting virtually,” a BCCI source told the Hindustan Times on the condition of anonymity.

Earlier, amid rising political tension between India and Bangladesh, the BCCI decided not to visit Dhaka and threatened to boycott the all-important AGM of the game’s Asian body.

The meeting on Thursday is set to determine the status of the Asia Cup, which is supposed to be played in T20 format. If the tournament gets the go-ahead, it will most likely be played in the UAE, with India maintaining its hosting rights.

Considering the fact that the BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) — amid strained political relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours that reached new heights after their military clash in May — are not keen on playing on each other’s venues particularly after the 2024 hybrid model reached between the two countries for participation in ICC events, the UAE has emerged as a frontrunner to host the latest edition of the Asia Cup.

Earlier, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had sided with the BCCI, saying they wouldn’t visit Dhaka for the AGM. Considering the BCCI’s changing stance, the two cricket boards are now also expected to attend the meeting virtually.

The ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), will host the meeting in Dhaka.

Mohsin arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday afternoon, and was greeted by Mohammad Aminul Islam, the chief of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2025