India has agreed to play three additional T20I matches during their tour of Sri Lanka in August this year, in order to support relief and recovery work following the devastating Cyclone Ditwah in the Island recently.
Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on the East coast of Sri Lanka on 28 November 2025, causing widespread floods and deadly landslides across the nation. The Humanitarian Priorities Plans (HPP) indicates over 2.2 million people were affected and estimates 1.2 million people in need of assistance.
At present, Sri Lanka is preparing for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with T20Is series against Pakistan and England before the showcase event. The income generated from the series against Pakistan will be donated towards flood relief efforts.
The T20 World Cup will be the tenth edition, co-hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) from 7 February to 8 March 2026. Sri Lanka had previously hosted the competition in 2012 and India in 2016. A total of twenty teams will compete in 55 matches across five venues in India, and three in Sri Lanka.
India’s international calendar for 2026 is already a demanding one. The year is structured around three major blocks: a home white-ball series against New Zealand, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on the subcontinent, and a mid-year overseas white-ball tour of England. The rest of the schedule follows the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, with several series still awaiting detailed match itineraries from the respective boards.
India are also set to conclude 2026 with a home limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, comprising three ODIs and three T20Is.
