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India's two-Test tour of Sri Lanka ended with a 1-0 series win, but the Shubman Gill-led side missed the opportunity to complete a clean sweep after the second Test in Colombo ended in a draw. India had dominated large parts of the match before Sri Lanka produced a determined fightback on the final day.
The focus now shifts towards a packed international calendar. India will move between T20Is, ODIs and Tests over the next few months, with the schedule featuring series against Afghanistan, West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, along with the Asian Games.
India’s next assignment after Sri Lanka Test series
India's immediate international assignment after the Sri Lanka series will be a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The matches are scheduled for September 13, 15 and 17 in Delhi.
India will then turn their attention to the Asian Games before beginning a busy home season against the West Indies. The men's cricket competition at the Asian Games is scheduled to run from September 24 to October 3, with India entering the knockout stage directly.
The West Indies series will begin with three ODIs from September 27, followed by five T20Is. India will then travel to New Zealand for five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests.
The two-Test series in New Zealand will be particularly important for India's World Test Championship campaign. Following the drawn Colombo Test, India remain fifth in the WTC standings and face a difficult qualification path, with six wins from their remaining seven Tests required to put themselves in a strong position for the final.
Full schedule of India’s upcoming matches and series
India's international calendar from September through December is packed across all three formats.
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| September 13 | 1st T20I vs Afghanistan | Delhi |
| September 15 | 2nd T20I vs Afghanistan | Delhi |
| September 17 | 3rd T20I vs Afghanistan | Delhi |
| September | Asian Games | Japan |
| September 27 | 1st ODI vs West Indies | Thiruvananthapuram |
| September 30 | 2nd ODI vs West Indies | Guwahati |
| October 3 | 3rd ODI vs West Indies | New Chandigarh |
| October 6 | 1st T20I vs West Indies | Lucknow |
| October 9 | 2nd T20I vs West Indies | Ranchi |
| October 11 | 3rd T20I vs West Indies | Indore |
| October 14 | 4th T20I vs West Indies | Hyderabad |
| October 17 | 5th T20I vs West Indies | Bengaluru |
| October 22 | 1st T20I vs New Zealand | Christchurch |
| October 24 | 2nd T20I vs New Zealand | Christchurch |
| October 27 | 3rd T20I vs New Zealand | Wellington |
| October 30 | 4th T20I vs New Zealand | Auckland |
| November 1 | 5th T20I vs New Zealand | Hamilton |
| November 4 | 1st ODI vs New Zealand | Auckland |
| November 7 | 2nd ODI vs New Zealand | Wellington |
| November 10 | 3rd ODI vs New Zealand | Hamilton |
| November 13 | 4th ODI vs New Zealand | Mount Maunganui |
| November 15 | 5th ODI vs New Zealand | Mount Maunganui |
| November 19-23 | 1st Test vs New Zealand | Wellington |
| November 27-December 1 | 2nd Test vs New Zealand | Christchurch |
| December 13 | 1st ODI vs Sri Lanka | Delhi |
| December 16 | 2nd ODI vs Sri Lanka | Bengaluru |
| December 19 | 3rd ODI vs Sri Lanka | Ahmedabad |
| December 22 | 1st T20I vs Sri Lanka | Rajkot |
| December 24 | 2nd T20I vs Sri Lanka | Cuttack |
| December 27 | 3rd T20I vs Sri Lanka | Pune |
Key players and challenges India will face in the next phase
Shubman Gill will remain one of the most important players as India move through this demanding schedule. The captain has already had a significant workload in his first phase of leadership, and his ability to manage the transition between formats will be crucial.
Devdutt Padikkal is another player who has emerged as an important name after his outstanding Sri Lanka tour. He was named Player of the Series after scoring 328 runs in three innings, including two centuries. His emergence gives India another strong option in the top order. Dhruv Jurel and Manav Suthar also strengthened their positions during the Sri Lanka series.
The biggest challenge, however, will come in the longest format. India have only two Tests against New Zealand before a five-Test home series against Australia in early 2027. With their WTC qualification hopes now under pressure, the New Zealand Tests will carry considerable importance.
At the same time, the packed white-ball schedule will test India's squad depth. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy and others who recently suffered injuries will have to play a key role in India's success in the upcoming months.
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