The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is aiming to reshape the upcoming 2027-31 Future Tours Programme (FTP) to better accommodate player welfare. The board intends to instruct its FTP managers to secure adequate rest periods and sufficient time for acclimatization before major overseas series, particularly in SENA countries. This strategic shift comes as the board seeks to balance an increasingly congested international calendar.
These objectives will be at the forefront of a two-day workshop scheduled for September 22 and 23 in Dubai. Operations teams from all cricket boards, along with representatives from the top eight Associate nations, are expected to attend the ICC headquarters to deliberate on the next cycle of international fixtures. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia emphasized the necessity of these measures, noting that the current volume of matches presents a significant challenge that requires a more structured approach to scheduling.
The task of creating gaps in the schedule is complex, given the existing bilateral commitments and the dense lineup of ICC events. India’s future itinerary includes hosting England for five Tests in early 2028, followed by a tour of Australia later that year. Subsequent plans include a tentative tour of England in 2029 and hosting Australia in 2031. These are interspersed with major tournaments, including the 2028 T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the 2029 Champions Trophy in India, the 2030 T20 World Cup across England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the 2031 ODI World Cup hosted by India and Bangladesh. Additionally, the team must manage World Test Championship obligations involving travel to South Africa and the West Indies, alongside hosting Sri Lanka and other opponents.
Beyond scheduling adjustments, there is growing internal discussion regarding the potential return of more multilateral series. As bilateral cricket faces declining financial viability and waning public interest, boards are increasingly viewing multilateral tournaments as a more lucrative alternative. While tri-series and quadrangular events have largely faded from the calendar, a T20I tri-series is currently underway in Namibia featuring the hosts, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
India’s history with such formats has been sporadic since the 2011 World Cup, with only four notable appearances: a 2011-12 series in Australia involving Sri Lanka, a 2013 event in the West Indies with Sri Lanka, a 2014-15 tri-series in Australia featuring England, and the 2018 Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka. The latter, a T20I event, remains memorable for Dinesh Karthik’s dramatic last-ball six to secure the title. Prior to these, the last time India hosted a multilateral tournament was the TVS Cup in 2003-04, which included Australia and New Zealand.
The viability of hosting such events in India remains a subject of debate, as non-India matches often struggle to generate the same commercial value as bilateral home series. Consequently, the board must carefully evaluate how media rights and economic models would function if they were to reintroduce these formats into the future international landscape. The report also notes that there has been only one ODI tri-series since the 2019 World Cup — involving New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan — which was played ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy. The report also notes that well, the BCCI does not have too long to make its case. The report also notes that “We have instructed our FTP people, who will be meeting very soon at various international forums, that our FTP should be scheduled in such a way that there is proper rest for the players, as well as some kind of acclimatisation or friendly matches before any major series in SENA countries.”. The report also notes that it will not be easy but then the BCCI is known to meet the targets. The report also notes that meanwhile, can reveal that the next international calendar could feature more multilateral games.
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