When the Board of Control for Cricket in India unveiled its home schedule for 2026–27, much of the attention was on venue allocations. The high-profile series against Australia will bypass several of India’s traditional Test centres, with venues such as Ahmedabad and Guwahati emerging as preferred hosts. In contrast, established venues including Mumbai and Kolkata have been allotted white-ball fixtures against Zimbabwe, who are set to tour India for the first time in over two decades.
This season, India are scheduled to host the West Indies, Sri Lanka, and Australia, while also playing a limited-overs series against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. They will tour England and play T20Is in Ireland and Zimbabwe, before travelling to New Zealand for a Test series. The spread of opponents across formats and conditions reflects a calendar that accommodates both established and emerging sides.
Around the same time, in England, discussions around a proposed European cricketing competition met resistance. The ECB declined support for the Euro Nations Cup, an idea put forward by Cricket Ireland chair Brian MacNeice, citing an already congested international schedule. While proponents framed the tournament as an opportunity to strengthen the game across the region, the ECB maintained its position, prioritising existing bilateral and global commitments.
It is in this context that recent schedules offer some insight. Teams that travel more frequently, especially to a wider range of destinations, contribute not only to competitive variety but also to the financial circulation of the game.