India are gearing up for an action-packed August as they look to solidify their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. According to a report by Cricbuzz, India will embark on a two-match Test tour of Sri Lanka starting August 15—a high-profile kickoff that beautifully coincides with India's Independence Day. This marks India's first red-ball tour to the island nation in nine years, with their last visit dating back to a dominant 3-0 whitewash under Virat Kohli in 2017.
India's Test tour to Sri Lanka to start from August 15
The first Test is expected to be hosted in Galle, followed by the second match beginning August 23, which is heavily tipped to take place at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo. Neither the BCCI nor Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has officially locked in the final calendar, but the tour will immediately follow India's three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe.
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Reflecting just how much Indian cricket has evolved over nearly a decade, almost the entire squad from that 2017 tour has either retired or moved out of national selection. The only surviving exceptions expected to feature in the upcoming series are Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and KL Rahul.
In addition to the crucial WTC matches, Sri Lanka Cricket has requested India to play a three-match T20I series during the visit.
Because the Lanka Premier League (LPL) concludes on August 9, there is virtually no window to play shorter-format games beforehand. Consequently, the proposed T20I series will almost certainly be scheduled after the Test series wraps up.
Following their victory in the one-off Test match, the Indian cricket team is transitioning into an incredibly packed international calendar. Their immediate next challenge is a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. This kicks off a grueling eight-month stretch running until February, during which India is scheduled to play more than 60 international matches across all formats.
India's jam-packed cricket itinerary
This jam-packed itinerary features a diverse mix of opponents and high-profile tournaments. The Men in Blue will face off against Ireland, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and New Zealand. Additionally, the schedule includes a major multi-sport event, with the team set to compete in the Asian Games 2026, held in Aichi–Nagoya between September and October.
The upcoming cycle also features some of the most highly anticipated marquee clashes in world cricket. India will be traveling to England for a white-ball tour consisting of ODI and T20I series. Looking slightly further ahead, they are also set to host rivals Australia for the prestigious and much-celebrated Border-Gavaskar series in early 2027.