Australia announce schedule for ODI tour of Pakistan, set to clash with IPL 2026 playoffs

Cricket Australia (CA) on May 7 announced their white-ball tour of Pakistan and Bangladesh. The three-ODI series will clash with the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoffs.

The first ODI will be played on May 30 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on the eve of the IPL 2026 final. The second and third ODI will be played on June 2 and 4 respectively at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The last two ODIs will be played at the IPL 2026 final on May 31.

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The ODI series against Pakistan is likely to impact Australia's squad selection. The players who are under contract can't be recalled for ODIs until and unless their respective franchises are out of the tournament.

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On May 6, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for playoffs. Qualifier 1 will be played on May 26 followed by Eliminator on May 27. Then, the Qualifier 2 will be played on May 29 followed by the final on May 31.

Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) Josh Inglis and Mitchell Marsh are likely to be named in the squad as the franchise is placed at the bottom of the points table with seven losses from nine games. One more loss and LSG are out of the playoffs race. 

Other Australian players active in the IPL 2026 are -

Chennai Super Kings - Matt Short, Spencer Johnson
Delhi Capitals - Mitchell Starc
Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Josh Hazlewood, Tim David
Punjab Kings - Marcus Stoinis, Ben Dwarshuis, Mitchell Owen, Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett
Kolkata Knight Riders - Cameron Green
Sunrisers Hyderabad - Pat Cummins, Travis Head

Several players to miss ODI series opener vs Pakistan?

Australian squad will arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 23. A few players may miss at least the first ODI of the series. Others may join the squad or may be rested considering their workloads.

CSK’s Short is not a regular part of the team whereas his teammate Johnson is yet to play a game this season after replacing an injured Nathan Ellis. At PBKS, Dwarshuis and Owen are yet to get a game.

Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Head are likely to miss not just Pakistan but Bangladesh tour as well to manage their workload.

3 ODIs, 3 T20Is in Bangladesh -

The three ODIs on Bangladesh soil will be played between June 9 and June 14. The T20I series will commence on June 14 and end on June 21. The T20I series may undergo overhaul after Australia’s early exit from T20 World Cup 2026.