BCCI declines SLC’s request to play charity T20I games amid busy schedule

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has reportedly turned down Sri Lanka Cricket's request to play a couple of T20I charity games in December to raise funds for victims affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

News agency PTI reported that Sri Lanka Cricket chairman Shammi Silva confirmed that the BCCI have apperantly turned down their request to play charity games.

We discussed a tour for two games on December 27 and 29 in aid of Ditwah cyclone reconstruction but could not finalize arrangements on the commercial side in time," Silva told reporters as quoted by PTI.

Shammi Silva further stated that a full tour would proceed in August, comprising two Tests and two T20 Internationals. The SLC also mentioned that from the three T20 internationals happening next week against Pakistan in the central town of Dambulla, the proceeds would be donated to the cyclone recovery fund.

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Cyclone Ditwah's impact on Sri Lanka

Cyclone Ditwah hit Sri Lanka on 28 November 2025 that bring extremely heavy rainfall, widespread flooding and deadly landslides across nearly all provinces. The storm caused massive disruptions to life and infrastructure. Sri Lanka, as a country, faced losses to the tune of USD 1.6 billion, with 600 people losing their lives. Over 2.2 million people were exposed to flooding and storm impacts, including nearly 530,000 children in need of humanitarian support.

India's 2026 cricket calendar

India have a very busy cricketing calendar in 2026 with major tournaments and back-to-back series spread across the year. The year will begin in January with a home white-ball series against New Zealand. India will play three ODs and five T20Is, which will be the team's last assignment before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka and will run from February 7 to March 8.

After the World Cup, India’s focus will shift to overseas cricket. In July, the team will tour England for a demanding limited-overs series that includes a total of eight matches.

Among the confirmed fixtures, India are set to play a one-off Test match and three ODIs against Afghanistan in June. This will be followed by a two-Test series in Sri Lanka in August. September is expected to be especially busy, with a short tour of Bangladesh and India, also aiming to defend their gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan.

The final few months of the year will be equally challenging. In October, India will tour New Zealand for a full series that includes Tests, ODIs and T20Is. The team will then return home in December to host Sri Lanka for three ODIs and three T20Is.