BCCI set to expand India’s ODI calendar ahead of 2027 World Cup

India cricket team are set to play more One Day Internationals than originally planned in the Future Tours Programme, with multiple cricket boards requesting the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to add extra ODI fixtures during India’s overseas tours

After a stretch dominated by white-ball tournaments, India’s busy calendar will resume after the Indian Premier League, beginning with a home series against Afghanistan national cricket team featuring one Test and three ODIs

India will then travel to the United Kingdom to face England in a white-ball tour comprising three ODIs and five T20 Internationals, continuing the team’s packed international schedule

During the UK tour, India are also likely to face Ireland in a short bilateral series, with discussions underway between Cricket Ireland and the BCCI over whether the matches will be three T20Is or three ODIs

The proposed Ireland fixtures could take place either at the beginning or end of the UK tour, with officials also considering whether the matches will be played in Ireland or hosted at venues such as Southampton in England

India’s increasing ODI workload is also linked to preparations for the 2027 Cricket World Cup scheduled in South Africa, as the team seeks more 50-over experience under conditions similar to those expected during the tournament

Following the UK white-ball tour, India are scheduled to play two Tests in Sri Lanka, where Sri Lanka Cricket has expressed interest in staging a pink-ball day-night Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club after installing floodlights at the venue

Sri Lanka Cricket has also requested the BCCI to add white-ball matches to the tour, potentially expanding the originally planned two-Test series to include three limited-overs fixtures that could also support flood-relief initiatives

Later in the year, India could play three T20Is against Afghanistan in the UAE and undertake a white-ball tour of Bangladesh that was postponed earlier due to political circumstances, though both tours depend on government clearances amid the prevailing security situation

After a possible appearance at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, India will host West Indies cricket team before travelling to face New Zealand, where the hosts have requested two additional ODIs, potentially taking the white-ball matches on that tour to ten in total