The BCCI is preparing to push for a more balanced international cricket schedule in the next Future Tours Programme (FTP), with player workload, recovery time and overseas acclimatisation expected to become major priorities.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has indicated that its FTP planners will be instructed to avoid overly congested schedules and, wherever possible, provide India’s players with enough time to adjust to foreign conditions before important Test series, particularly in SENA countries.

SENA refers to South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia — four of the most challenging destinations for visiting teams. India has often faced criticism for arriving in these countries with limited preparation time before a major series, especially when players move directly from one format or competition to another.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia addressed the issue following a review meeting involving the Indian team. He acknowledged that the sheer number of international matches being played throughout the year has become a major scheduling challenge.

According to Saikia, the board wants the next FTP cycle to address that problem through better planning.

FTP Workshop to Discuss 2027-31 Schedule

The BCCI will soon have an opportunity to put its ideas before other cricket boards.

An FTP workshop is scheduled to take place in Dubai on September 22 and 23. Operations teams representing different cricket boards are expected to attend the meeting, where the international calendar for the 2027-31 cycle will be discussed.

The BCCI will send its own representatives to the workshop.

Interestingly, representatives from the top eight Associate nations have also been invited. Their involvement could make the discussions broader than previous FTP planning exercises, particularly at a time when the International Cricket Council and its member boards are increasingly looking at ways to expand cricket beyond its traditional markets.

For the BCCI, however, one of the biggest priorities will be finding space in an already crowded calendar.

The board wants India’s FTP to include sufficient breaks for players, along with opportunities for warm-up or friendly matches before major overseas assignments.

That could be particularly important for Test cricket.

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Why Overseas Acclimatisation Matters

Playing Test cricket in Australia, England, New Zealand or South Africa presents a very different challenge from playing at home.

Conditions can vary dramatically, from the movement of the Dukes ball in England to the pace and bounce traditionally associated with Australian pitches. South Africa can offer significant seam movement, while New Zealand’s conditions can also test visiting batters and bowlers.

Teams therefore benefit from spending time in the country before a major series begins.

However, India’s increasingly packed calendar often makes that difficult.

Players are required to move between formats, bilateral series, franchise cricket and ICC tournaments, leaving limited opportunities for preparation. Travel itself can also contribute to fatigue.

The BCCI’s latest position suggests that it wants to address this issue at the scheduling stage rather than simply expecting players to manage the workload themselves.

Providing a few additional days for acclimatisation or arranging practice games could help Indian players prepare more effectively for overseas Tests.

India’s Packed Calendar Creates a Challenge

Implementing the BCCI’s plans will not be straightforward.

India already has a series of major commitments lined up during the next FTP cycle. The schedule includes bilateral series against some of the world’s strongest teams as well as multiple ICC tournaments and World Test Championship assignments.

India is expected to host England for a five-Test series at the beginning of 2028 before travelling to Australia later that year.

The following years will also feature major overseas and home assignments. India is tentatively scheduled to tour England in 2029 and host Australia in 2031.

These bilateral commitments will have to be fitted around an increasingly busy global calendar.

ICC Events Add Further Pressure

The international calendar will also include several major ICC tournaments during the 2027-31 period.

The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in Australia and New Zealand in 2028, while India is expected to host the Champions Trophy in 2029.

Another T20 World Cup is scheduled for 2030, with England, Scotland and Ireland involved as hosts. The 2031 ODI World Cup will then be staged in India and Bangladesh.

For India, participation in these events means additional travel, preparation camps and matches.

There are also World Test Championship commitments to consider. Depending on the qualification cycle and standings, India could have to travel to countries such as South Africa and the West Indies while also hosting Sri Lanka and another opponent.

The BCCI will therefore have to work around a complicated web of commitments.

Creating meaningful gaps between major series may prove difficult, but the board believes better FTP planning can make the schedule more manageable.

Multilateral Cricket Could Make a Comeback

Another potentially important development in the next FTP cycle is the possibility of more multilateral cricket.

There is reportedly growing interest among cricket boards in reducing their dependence on traditional bilateral series. Financial considerations appear to be one of the major factors behind the discussion.

Bilateral cricket has long been the foundation of the international calendar, but some boards increasingly believe that tournaments involving three or more teams can generate greater commercial interest.

Tri-series and quadrangular tournaments were once a regular feature of international cricket. Today, however, they are comparatively rare.

A T20I tri-series involving Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe is currently providing a reminder of the format’s potential.

In ODI cricket, such tournaments have become particularly uncommon. Since the 2019 World Cup, there has been only one ODI tri-series, involving New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan, which was played ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy.

India Has a History of Tri-Series

India has also participated in several tri-series over the years.

The country played a tri-series in Australia during the 2011-12 season, with Sri Lanka completing the lineup. India was also part of a tournament in the West Indies in 2013 alongside the hosts and Sri Lanka.

Another tri-series took place in Australia during the 2014-15 season, involving India, Australia and England.

The most memorable recent example for Indian fans was the Nidahas Trophy in 2018.

India played Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the T20I tournament, with Dinesh Karthik producing one of the most dramatic finishes in India’s recent cricket history. Karthik struck a last-ball six in the final to secure victory for India.

The first three tournaments mentioned were ODI events, while the Nidahas Trophy was played in the T20I format.

The Asia Cup is another major multilateral tournament involving India, although its structure is different because it is organised under the Asian Cricket Council rather than being a conventional bilateral or host-board tournament.

The Economics of Multilateral Cricket

If multilateral cricket becomes a larger part of the FTP, one of the biggest questions will be economics.

Normally, a multilateral tournament belongs to the host board, which can generate revenue through broadcasting, sponsorship and ticket sales.

India presents a slightly different commercial equation.

Matches involving India are likely to command significant broadcast and sponsorship value, but games between other participating teams may not generate comparable revenue in the Indian market.

That could make the economics of hosting a multilateral tournament in India more complicated.

It may also help explain why the BCCI has not hosted a major multilateral tournament involving overseas teams for many years. Its last such event was the TVS Cup in the 2003-04 season, involving Australia and New Zealand.

How broadcasting rights, sponsorship income and the valuation of non-India matches would be structured remains an important question.

A New Approach to the International Calendar?

The next FTP could therefore represent an important shift in the way international cricket is scheduled.

For the BCCI, the immediate priority appears to be ensuring that India’s players have sufficient rest and preparation time, particularly before difficult overseas Test assignments.

At the same time, the board will have to balance those demands against the commercial realities of modern international cricket.

The 2027-31 cycle will contain bilateral series, ICC tournaments, World Test Championship matches and potentially more multilateral cricket. Fitting everything into the calendar without overburdening players will be one of the biggest challenges facing cricket administrators.

The Dubai FTP workshop on September 22 and 23 could provide the first major platform for those discussions.

Whether the final schedule can deliver the balance the BCCI wants remains to be seen. But one thing is already clear: with international cricket becoming increasingly crowded, simply adding more matches is no longer enough.

The next FTP will need to find a better balance between player welfare, competitive preparation, commercial interests and the global growth of cricket.

For India, that could mean fewer rushed overseas assignments, more acclimatisation time and a more carefully structured international calendar.