India to play more ODIs ahead of World Cup 2027?

With the conclusion of the 2026 T20 World Cup, all eyes have now turned to the next major global event—the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027. This is the tournament that every Indian fan has been eagerly awaiting for the past three years. The tournament is scheduled to take place in October and November 2027.
In the context of this 50-over World Cup, all eyes are firmly fixed on India's two veteran batsmen—Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Both these players have retired from T20I and Test cricket and now play exclusively in the ODI format. Everyone is well aware of the star power possessed by these two cricketers—an influence that is currently palpable across the entire cricketing world. Recently, specifically to capitalise on the immense popularity of these two stars, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has received requests from several cricket boards, including SLC, ECB, and ICB, to add more One Day Internationals (ODIs) to India's schedule ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. The BCCI is currently considering these requests from the other boards.

According to reports, the cricket boards of England, New Zealand, Ireland, and Sri Lanka have expressed interest in playing additional ODI matches during India's tours of their respective countries. The surging demand for ODI matches can be directly attributed to the tremendous star power of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Since these two players currently play only in the ODI format, they have become a major attraction for fans residing overseas.

According to some reports, Cricket Ireland is also keen to host a three-match series against India during the summer months.

These matches could potentially be played either before or after India's 'white-ball' tour of England. However, it remains unclear at this stage whether these matches would be ODIs or T20Is, or which board would host the series. The Indian team is scheduled to tour England in July, where a series comprising three ODIs and five T20Is will be played between the two sides. 

However, considering that this tour could potentially mark the final overseas assignment of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's long careers, the three-match ODI series might be expanded to five matches. It remains unclear whether this alteration would entail adding two extra ODIs (thereby bringing the total number of matches to 10) or if two T20Is would be dropped to accommodate them.

Subsequently, India is also set to play a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka in August; one of these matches is likely to be a Day-Night Test, hosted by the Sinhalese Sports Club.
However, according to reports, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is currently in talks with the BCCI regarding the inclusion of white-ball matches in this tour.

This shift comes in the wake of the postponement of a series originally scheduled for earlier this year. With uncertainty looming over the series against Afghanistan—which was slated to take place in Bangladesh and the UAE during the late summer months—India may utilise this window to play additional matches.

Following a shocking home series defeat against New Zealand, Coach Gautam Gambhir emphasised the critical need to play more ODI matches; consequently, the BCCI may consider increasing India's ODI fixtures and acceding to requests from other boards.

This underscores the immense importance of understanding the pace and rhythm of ODI cricket as an integral part of the team's preparation. India's 2026 schedule also features an all-format tour of New Zealand—marking their first Test cricket tour of that country in over six years.

The current schedule comprises two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is. However, New Zealand Cricket has expressed interest in adding two more ODIs to this itinerary.  This ensures that the end of the year will be quite busy for the 'Men in Blue' as they gear up for the World Cup.

It will now be quite interesting to see what the Indian team's new schedule looks like. If the number of matches increases, it will come as great news for the fans of Rohit and Virat. Currently, both players are immersed in preparations for the IPL 2026, which is scheduled to commence on March 28.