The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has pushed the timing for the evening T20Is for the upcoming India matches in July. For the last few years, the ECB has had 6:30 PM local time (11 PM IST) as the starting time for T20I matches in England. The same was applied for the India vs England series, with tickets going on sale last year.
Before finalising home matches, the ECB consults with the venues, the opposition board and broadcasters. However, according to ESPNcricinfo, following the recently published financial report, the ECB has decided to move up the games by one hour, to 5:30 PM local time (10 PM IST).
ECB changes match timings for IND vs ENG series
For the unaware, ECB recorded massive profits following India’s 5-match Test tour of England last year. Such was the success that the home Ashes against Australia in 2027 won’t even come close, and the ECB will suffer losses compared to the 2025 season.
However, the ECB expects to register a profit in 2026 due to India touring for 8 white-ball matches from July 1 to 19. Realising it’s a high-value broadcast series, the English board has decided to push games earlier to maximise Indian viewership. Although a 10 PM start is still a bit late for India, with games ending at 1:30 AM or later, it’s still better than ending one hour later.
The buzz for the India vs England series is already high. The tickets for the 3-match ODI series, which could be Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s last tour of England, are sold out already. Only a few hundred tickets are available for the 5-match T20I series, which includes young phenom Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
India vs England series schedule
| Match | Date | Venue | Updated Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | July 1 | Chester-le-Street | 10 PM |
| 2nd T20I | July 4 | Manchester | 7 PM |
| 3rd T20I | July 7 | Nottingham | 10 PM |
| 4th T20I | July 9 | Bristol | 10 PM |
| 5th T20I | July 11 | Southampton | 7 PM |
| 1st ODI | July 14 | Birmingham | 3:30 PM |
| 2nd ODI | July 16 | Cardiff | 5:30 PM |
| 3rd ODI | July 19 | London | 3:30 PM |
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