India have a loaded schedule ahead of them in 2026, but it stands to grow a little busier as the BCCI is entertaining requests to add more ODI matches to the fixture list in the run-up to next year’s ODI World Cup in South Africa.

As per an Indian Express report, a variety of different cricket boards have asked the BCCI to beef up the number of ODIs they are expected to play during overseas tours in particular. These include England, New Zealand, Ireland and Sri Lanka, each of whom stands to benefit from extra ODI games, providing a monetary boost.

While T20I matches are traditionally seen as the moneymakers for cricket tours, as the format which attracts crowds and allows for the most cricket to be played, things are different for India in particular. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the two biggest active names in Indian cricket both restricted to just the ODI format, the biggest draw for fans overseas might be ODI cricket in coming months.

As per the report, Cricket Ireland is attempting to finalise a three-match bout against India in the summer months, to be played either side of India’s white-ball tour in England. The question revolves around whether these three matches will be in the T20 or ODI format, and whether they will be played in Ireland or at a venue like Southampton in England.

In August, India are pencilled in for a two-Test series in Sri Lanka, with one of those potentially being a day-night match at the Sinhalese Sports Club. However, SLC are in talks with BCCI to add white-ball games to the schedule too, with an originally-planned series in January this year being postponed.

With uncertainty over series in Bangladesh and against Afghanistan in the UAE in the late summer months, India might be keen for extra matches during this phase anyway. Coach Gautam Gambhir cited the need for more experience in ODI cricket for the team after a shock defeat in the home series to New Zealand, as understanding the pace and flow of an ODI game becomes priority.

India are set to round out 2026 with an all-format tour in New Zealand in their first visit for Test cricket in more than six years. At the moment, two Test matches, three ODIs, and five T20Is are lined up – but New Zealand Cricket would like to add two ODIs themselves, bolstering the schedule and making it a busy end to the year for the men in blue.

South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada, center, celebrates with teammates (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has stirred debate after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 by suggesting that the South Africa national cricket team made a tactical mistake by defeating the West Indies cricket team in their Super 8 clash.The encounter, played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, ended with South Africa securing a comfortable nine-wicket victory. The result had a major impact on the tournament equation because it allowed the India national cricket team to remain in contention for the semi-finals. Later the same day, India beat the Zimbabwe national cricket team to keep their campaign alive.

Speaking on the ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast, Vaughan remarked that South Africa may have inadvertently helped India stay in the race by winning that particular game.“I tell you, who I think is the stupidest team of the tournament? South Africa. Because if South Africa had allowed the West Indies to beat them in the Super 8s, India would have been knocked out. I’m just saying – if they had cleared them out, the juggernaut that was coming would have stopped.”“By winning that game, they allowed the juggernaut to go on. India then beat Zimbabwe, then the West Indies in a kind of quarter-final, and then England. South Africa had to play Zimbabwe next, and they even rested three players for that match,” Vaughan said on the ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast.According to Vaughan, teams looking to win a World Cup sometimes benefit from eliminating the strongest side early in the competition rather than allowing them to gather momentum.“Look, these things shouldn’t happen and usually don’t happen. I’m just saying that if you want to win a World Cup, the best way is to eliminate the best team early,” Vaughan added.Following their victory over Zimbabwe, India’s next match against the West Indies effectively turned into a knockout contest. In that high-pressure game, Sanju Samson produced a match-winning unbeaten 97 to guide India to a five-wicket win and seal a place in the semi-finals while ending the West Indies’ campaign.Meanwhile, South Africa travelled to Kolkata for the first semi-final, where they faced the New Zealand national cricket team. Led by Mitchell Santner, the Black Caps dominated the contest and sealed a nine-wicket victory. The highlight of the chase was a sensational 33-ball century from Finn Allen, which helped New Zealand cruise into the final. India ultimately won the T20 World Cup 2026.

Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood has been on the sidelines for quite some time now due to hamstring and Achilles tendon injuries. He was first ruled out of the Ashes 2025-26 campaign and then also missed out on the T20 World Cup 2026, where Australia eventually crashed out early, not even making it to the Super 8s. However, it was believed that the experienced speedster would recover in time and travel to India for the upcoming 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, it has now been reliably learnt that the 35-year-old remains under physio care, and his participation in IPL 2026 will ultimately depend on whether he receives clearance.

Sources have confirmed to Hindustan Times that Hazlewood is still awaiting clearance from the medical team and will join the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad only when he receives the go-ahead.

“He is still under the physio care, and his participation in the IPL depends on whether he gets the clearance or not. There’s still plenty of time, but it’s a wait-and-watch situation for now,” a source privy to developments confirmed to Hindustan Times.

The right-arm pacer had hurt his right hamstring while playing for New South Wales in November and was first ruled out of the first Ashes Test in Perth at first. He was expected to play a part in the series, but a fresh Achilles injury ruled him out of the entire Ashes and, subsequently, the T20 World Cup.

Cummins missed the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane as well, and only came back to the side for the third match in Adelaide. In his absence, Steve Smith led the side. He was expected to be fit for the T20 World Cup, but just 10 days before the tournament began, the selectors confirmed that the 32-year-old had been ruled out of the 20-team competition.

Ahead of the IPL 2026, Cummins is being monitored by the medical team, and he’s on the same boat as Hazlewood as far as participation goes.

“Same with Pat as well. He, too, is being monitored by the physio,” the source confirmed.

The schedule for the first 16 days of IPL 2026 was announced earlier this week, with the tournament opener set for March 28 between RCB and SRHat the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

SRH: Pat Cummins (captain), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari, Shivang Kumar, Salil Arora, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Krains Fuletra, Liam Livingstone, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards.