Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli (Source: AFP Photos)
To delight fans of two of India’s all-time greats – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – India, in all likelihood, will have more ODI matches in the next 12 months or so to prepare themselves for the 2027 ODI World Cup. The BCCI, as reported by Express Sports, has received numerous requests from cricket boards for ODI tours, and therefore, its original Future Tours Programme (FTP) needs to be updated.
With Kohli and Rohit no longer playing in Tests and T20Is, India’s ODI fixtures often get huge limelight due to their presence in 50-over games. Now, with the 2027 ODI World Cup potentially being the stage for one last dance, both of them are supposed to get ample opportunities for preparation, as the BCCI has reportedly accepted quite a few proposals from others.
Sri Lanka, New Zealand, England and Ireland Make Requests
The requests for the BCCI for ODI assignments reportedly came from Sri Lanka, New Zealand, England and Ireland.
Indian players, including Kohli and Rohit, will now all be busy in IPL 2026, and once it ends, they will play Afghanistan in a one-off Test and three ODIs. Once that is over, they will travel to England for a multi-format white-ball series. After that, the Ireland tour is reportedly set to take place.
Nevertheless, the series against Ireland could be three ODIs or three T20Is, and the BCCI and Cricket Ireland are in advanced talks to finalise it.
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The report further added that the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has also requested the BCCI for a pink-ball Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club, where floodlights were recently installed. Moreover, the SLC requested a white-ball series against India to support flood relief efforts.
As per the FTP, India will fly to New Zealand for two Tests, 3 ODIs, and 5 T20Is during the October-November 2026 window. There, the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) asked the BCCI whether they could add two more ODI matches in that tour, and the BCCI accepted the request, bringing joy to Kohli and Rohit fans.
When Is 2027 ODI World Cup?
The 2027 ODI World Cup will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, and October-November is expected to be the window the ICC is looking for to schedule it.
Needless to say, the ICC is yet to officially announce the full schedule of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Additionally, more ODI matches mean Virat Kohli will get more chances to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 international centuries. Kohli, now aged 37, currently has 85 centuries, and more ODI games will open the door to getting the record everyone has dreamed of before finally hanging up his boots.
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