Indian cricket team schedule
There is no country in the world that loves cricket as much as India. Whenever India play, the entire country comes to a standstill, and some of their most famous celebrities and national icons have connections to the sport.
Each season, India hosts the biggest franchise cricket event in the world in the form of the IPL.
This year is even more significant, with India hosting the 2023 World Cup for the first time since they last hosted and won the tournament back in 2011.
It stands to be a special year for those who follow Indian cricket, with exciting matches being planned across all formats of the game.
Here are some of the key dates in the Indian cricket team schedule for you to circle in your diary.
March
Three ODI matches against Australia
Over the last few decades, India and Australia have developed a fiery relationship. Their recent Test series saw the two best Test-playing sides in the world pitted against one another, with India winning the series 2-1 after a draw in the final Test.
Although the Test series has come to an end, India and Australia will renew their battle in the form of three international ODI matches. The first match takes place on March 17, 2023.
Despite the World Cup being over six months away, these ODIs provide the perfect opportunity for both teams to lay down a significant marker ahead of the grand showpiece later in the year. Expect fireworks between two sides that will have high hopes of lifting the World Cup.
2023 IPL season
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the biggest T20 franchise tournament in the world, and all the game’s best players will descend on India for two months of competitive action.
Ten teams from across the nation will be battling it out for victory, with the Gujarat Titans looking to repeat their stunning success from last year.
With such a huge array of talent on display across all of the 10 teams, each of the tournament’s franchises will be bidding for IPL glory.
Household names such as the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings will be hoping that this could be their year, and it will be fascinating to see whether Virat Kohli can finally win the IPL with his side, the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The IPL remains one of the only major titles that the Indian great has yet to win in his storied career.
One of the most-watched sporting competitions in the world, billions will tune into the tournament’s 70 matches, with the final itself being played on May 28.
June
World Test Championship Final
Following the completion of the Test series between India and Australia, the victory for India means that the two sides will compete once again in this year’s World Test Championship Final.
It will be the second time in succession that India have reached the final, and they will be wanting to avenge their defeat in the final last time out against New Zealand.
July/August
India’s tour of the West Indies
Ahead of the World Cup, which India will host, the national side will travel to the Caribbean to take on the West Indies across multiple formats.
The tour will begin with two Test matches before the white ball takes center stage, with three ODIs and three T20 contests slated to take place.
September
India host Australia ahead of the 2023 World Cup
With the World Cup just a month away, India will focus all of their attention on white ball cricket.
Once again, India welcomes Australia, who would have just competed in The Ashes. This time around, white ball cricket is the pure focus, with three One Day Internationals and two T20 matches due to take place. This will be the last chance that both sides will have to prepare for the World Cup, which will start just weeks after these matches conclude.
October/November
2023 ODI World Cup
The biggest tournament in the world of cricket will take place between October and November, with the winners of the tournament able to call themselves world champions.
The World Cup will be hosted by India for the second time since 2011, and this current crop of Indian players will be hopeful that they can emulate the team of 2011 by lifting the World Cup for the second time on home soil.
Currently ranked as the game’s best 50-over side, India will likely start the tournament as favorites, but know that they will need to beat the world’s best teams to lift the World Cup for a third time.
The tournament will consist of the top 10 teams in the world playing against each other in a round robin format. The top four sides will qualify for the semi-finals, with the two winners of that contest battling it out for World Cup glory in the final.
After two successive semi-final defeats, India will be desperate to make this the year they end their 12-year title drought.
December/January
India’s tour of South Africa
Cricket and December go hand in hand, and this December India will travel to South Africa to compete across all formats of the game.
The tour will begin with two Test matches, and these will be followed up by three ODIs and two T20 contests. Fans of India will be hoping that the team will be traveling to South Africa fresh off the back of winning the ODI World Cup.
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