World Champions India are contemplating playing extra T20Is in Sri Lanka and Ireland to gear up for a busy international calendar in the coming year. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is mulling over adding three T20Is to India’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, potentially preceding the two Tests already scheduled as part of the World Test Championship (WTC) in July-August.
The proposal for these additional T20Is has reportedly been put forward by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) as a means to raise funds for flood relief efforts following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah last November. India’s T20I team, currently under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, might kick off the Sri Lanka tour with these three short-format matches before transitioning to the two Test matches.
Prior to their Sri Lanka tour, India is set to visit England for a white-ball series comprising three ODIs and five T20Is from July 1 to 19. However, there are discussions in progress for a brief stopover in Ireland, where a three-match T20I series in Dublin is being considered. Talks between the BCCI and Cricket Ireland are ongoing, with hopes high for the series to come to fruition, potentially taking place in the last week of June.
India has a history of playing short bilateral series in Dublin in previous years to support the development of cricket in Ireland. The proposed matches in Ireland would follow India’s hosting of Afghanistan for a home series featuring one Test and three ODIs from June 6 to 20.
