New Delhi: The Men in Blue are set to tour Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series in the second half of August 2026. The exact date for the series has not been finalised yet, but the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has marked a two-week window for the games, which are also part of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle, reports Cricbuzz.
According to Cricbuzz sources within the SLC and BCCI, the two Test matches will be played between August 15 and 27, but there is no confirmation on the three T20Is that were also supposed to be part of the tour. The Test matches will be played after the conclusion of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) on August 9, and the window information has been shared with all stakeholders by the SLC, including Team India.
The BCCI secretary, Devajit Saikia, has travelled to Sri Lanka as part of an ICC delegation to assess the ongoing situation in the SLC, which the government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently dissolved. The government has appointed an interim body, the Sri Lanka Cricket Transformation Committee.
There is also a possibility that the Committee member may discuss the proposed series with the BCCI secretary during his visit, but identifying a window for three T20Is, which was proposed as a fundraiser for Cyclone Ditwah victims, could be a difficult challenge.
India likely to tour Bangladesh in September
India will play a three-match ODI and T20I series against Bangladesh in September, and scheduling a 20-over series against Sri Lanka will be tough in that month. If the proposed Bangladesh tour goes ahead, then it will be difficult to manage the schedule.
Saikia also refused to comment on the Bangladesh tour during a recent media interaction, suggesting that the focus should remain on the immediate matches. The tour of Bangladesh was originally scheduled to take place in 2025, but was postponed due to the tensions between the two nations.
But the diplomatic relations have improved recently, and it remains to be seen whether the series will eventually go ahead. After the Bangladesh tour (if it goes ahead), India will take on the West Indies at home, which could overlap with the Asian Games, in which cricket matches will be played from September 25 to October 3.
The Men in Blue are also scheduled to play three T20Is against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in September. India’s international commitments will resume on June 6 with a one-off Test match against Afghanistan in Mullanpur, followed by a three-match ODI series. The Indian team will then tour Ireland, England and Zimbabwe before visiting Sri Lanka.