At last moment, India’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh postponed to September 2026, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) with similar instances, has approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to host a six-match series this August. The proposed series includes three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals, citing the concern to prepare for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
India’s tour of Bangladesh, which was originally scheduled from August 17 to 31, has been pushed to September 2026 due to scheduling and security concerns. The unexpected gap gives both boards a chance to organize this new series.
Sri Lanka focus on a short white-ball series against competitive India
The SLC explored this opportunity following the Lanka Premier League (LPL), possibly getting new dates, in contrast to the originally scheduled tournament in August. According to reports, SLC has received positive feedback from the BCCI, and detailed discussions are expected to take place during the ICC meetings in Singapore this week.
The venues under consideration and it is possible that Colombo and Kandy can be two choices to host the series. However, the final format of the series—whether it will feature more T20s or ODIs—is still being finalized.
As the big event will be underway in form of T20 World Cup, the primary focus is to host T20I matches as the first priority. The last bilateral series between India and Sri Lanka was featured in 2023. India claimed the T20I series, but Sri Lanka stunned India in the ODIs.
Testing Ground for 2026 ICC T20 World Cup
The skipper Charith Asalanka appraoched the SLC to organize competitive matches prior to the World Cup. Choosing India was an ideal step as Sri Lanka can focus on trying possible combinations, becoming the testing ground to launch plyers with minimal experience.
The India tour of Sri Lanka, 2025 could also see the return of star Indian players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have been rested from recent Test and T20I matches but are likely to feature in the ODI setup.
The series would offer valuable preparation for both teams ahead of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
