With the arrival of every new year comes about a drive to embrace a brand-new change. But the list of the available “New Year’s Resolutions” is quite a hefty one to browse through. Thankfully this year, the BCCI and ICC have worked together to make the choice simpler for a cricket fan-with the Indian team’s action-packed calendar of cricket.
The men’s team will commence their year with a 3-match T20I series early this month against peninsular neighbors Sri Lanka. Another 3 match home-series follows, this time in the ODI format, when Australia visit India at mid-January. The first away tour of the year will start from January 24th, when the team tours New Zealand for a complete three-format series. The series comprises of a 5-match T20I series, a first for the men’s team, 3-ODIs and 2 test-matches. Naturally, it’s going to be a long series that spans over one and a half months, not ending before 4th March. The time for rest, however, won’t be much, as on March 12, South Africa will return to complete their tour of India from last year with a 3-match ODI series.
The Indian Premier League, starting from end-March, will perfectly segue to the year’s biggest attraction-an action-packed T20 itinerary. Over the course of 6 weeks, fans will get to celebrate India’s most iconic sports fiesta. The T20 extravaganza will conclude late in May. While it will be somewhat of a long-wait between international action, fans will have the likes of the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Premier Leagues to satisfy to their cricket-cravings.
Post IPLÂ
International action resumes from September, when the top-teams from Asia lock horns in the Asia Cup. Over the past few years, Asia Cup’s venue has been a point of controversy. The Pakistan Cricket Board have on multiple occasions, requested the host-rights for the tournament, but BCCI has always refused due to the political tension between the two countries. With international cricket gradually coming back to Pakistan, it’ll be interesting to see the understanding the countries arrive at. The most awaited event of the year, though, will come in October when the T20 World Cup commences in Australia. India, and 15 of the top-cricketing, will fight out in a 2-month long tournament to claim the pinnacle spot in T20I rankings. Regardless of the outcome, the Indian team will extend their Australian-stay well into the next year to play their second away-series of the year.
The excitement of the T20I season has been contagious, with the women’s team catching on the similar ignition. Harmanpreet Kaur will first lead her blue-brigade in a tri-series in Australia also featuring England. Following which, the team will strive to claim their first ever T20 World Cup title. The year also promises some action for India’s young colts, who will begin their title defense of the U-19 World Cup in South Africa.Â
Here is an entire itinerary to mark your calendars:Â
India Men’s Cricket Schedule
January 5-10: 3 T20Is vs Sri Lanka – home
January 14-19: 3 ODIs vs Australia – home
Jan 24-March 4: 5 T20Is, 3 ODIs, and 2 Tests vs New Zealand – away
March 12-18: 3 ODIs vs South Africa – home
March-May: Indian Premier League (IPL)
September: Asia Cup – away
October-November: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia
November-January: India’s tour of Australia – away
India Women’s Cricket Schedule
January 31-February 12: T20I Tri-series (India, England, Australia) in Australia
February 21-March 8: T20 World Cup in Australia
Under-19 team
U-19 World Cup 2020 in South Africa – January 17 – February 9
Apart from the confirmed events, there are several other games the BCCI is trying to schedule this year. Most notably, the BCCI is in conversation with the ECB and Cricket Australia to play a quadruple-team international series. Not to mention, in all likelihood, players from the men’s team will participate in the World XI vs Asia XI T20I series in Bangladesh. So leave out all the plans of diet-control or gym-going for another year; for this year, all you need to promise yourself, is to maximize on all the cricket-action that comes your way.Â
