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In a major development, the BCCI has confirmed a new international assignment for the Indian cricket team after the ongoing IPL season. Once IPL 2026 ends, India will face Afghanistan in a one off Test match as well as a three match ODI series.

Even though that one off Test at Mullanpur Stadium isn’t part of the current World Test Championship cycle, India will soon drift back into WTC action, because the BCCI has reportedly finalised dates for an exciting Test series against Sri Lanka. As per a report by Cricbuzz, the long awaited Test series between India and Sri Lanka is likely to take place in August this year.

The BCCI has also dropped the schedule for India’s Zimbabwe tour where the Men in Blue will face the hosts in three T20Is. India’s Zimbabwe tour will wrap up on July 25, and their next formal assignment vs the West Indies starts from September 27. So that leaves a free window in August, which the BCCI intends to tap for the Sri Lanka tour.

The Lanka Premier League 2026 season should end on August 9 and it will likely be followed by India’s multi-format stint in Sri Lanka. Reports additionally hint that the two squads could line up for a three-game T20I series after the Tests finish, or thereabouts.

The Cricbuzz report further stated that BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has travelled to Sri Lanka, as the ICC looks to restore stability within Sri Lanka Cricket. The Sri Lankan cricket board was dissolved by the government after the Dasun Shanaka-led side, suffered a shocking Super 8 exit in the T20 World Cup 2026,  

Despite hosting the tournament, Sri Lanka failed to meet expectations and could not secure a place in the semifinals. The disappointing campaign pushed Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, to dissolve the cricket board amid allegations of corruption, and poor management.

Sri Lanka’s sports minister later kind of formed a nine-member interim panel , and asked the committee to introduce some major structural reforms to improve how cricket administration works in the countr. After the Sri Lankan government got involved in cricket related matters , the ICC created a high level panel as well , and that panel includes the deputy chairman Imran Khawaja

As per a Cricbuzz report , Devajit Saikia is also considered an important member of that panel , so his Sri Lanka visit is pretty significant for both the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket , before India’s upcoming multi format tour.

While officials hav e not announced the exact dates for the two-Test series, sources from both the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket told Cricbuzz that the fixtures might happen somewhere between  August 15 and 29.

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The Indian cricket team will later fly to the UK for a multi format series against Ireland and England. After completing two T20Is versus Ireland, India will take on England in eight white ball matches , including five T20Is and three ODIs.

• Afghanistan's tour of India (one Test, 3 ODIs): June 6-20
• India tour of Ireland (2 T20Is): June 26-28
• India tour of England (5 T20Is, 3 ODIs): July 1-19
• India tour of Zimbabwe (3 T20Is): July 23-26
• India tour of Sri Lanka (2 Tests, 3 T20Is likely): August-September window*
• West Indies tour of India (3 ODIs, 5 T20Is): September 27- October 17
• Sri Lanka tour of India (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is): December 13-27