The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has moved the timings for three of the five T20I matches during India's tour of England. The ECB has brought the timings one hour forward for the floodlit matches to maximise the TV viewership.
India are set to embark on their UK tour in late June with a two-match T20I series against Ireland before they hit the English shores for eight white-ball games. They will be locking horns against the Three Lions for three ODIs and five T20Is as the fans are eager for the two series.
The Men in Blue will play the five T20Is from July 1 to July 11 against England before the ODIs take centre stage from July 14 to 19. Three T20Is are evening games, scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm local time (11 pm IST). Those three matches have been brought forward to 5:30 pm local time (10 PM IST). This came after discussions with the broadcasters.
ECB expected to make profit this year
The ECB's move would have come considering the Indian audience. The India tours are profitable for every cricket board, and the ECB are also set to reap profits this year due to the India series. However, the ECB is set to bear losses next year despite the fact that they will be hosting the Ashes. The tickets for all of India's ODI matches have been sold out, and only a few T20I tickets remain available for sale. This underlines the popularity of an India series.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can be in action, focus on Virat Kohli too
The series can see India's teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in action after the 15-year-old was named in the squads for the Ireland and England series. He could make his international debut on June 26 against Ireland, but will remain in focus in England if he plays.
Meanwhile, focus will also be on Virat Kohli, who is a proven superstar and can pull a huge crowd. He will be missing the ODI series against Afghanistan due to his hamstring injury. This means that Kohli would be in action in the England ODI series in the middle of July. He has not played for India since the New Zealand ODI series way back in January 2026.
ALSO READ | Is Ravindra Jadeja's place in Tests under threat? Manav's stellar debut puts pressure on veteran
