• Source:JND
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The recently released India bilateral media rights bid tender on August 2 reveals that a significant portion of international matches scheduled from September 2023 to March 2027 will feature India taking on Australia and England.

According to a report in Cricbuzz, out of the 88 home matches planned for India during this broadcast cycle, 39 matches will be contested against Australia and New Zealand.

Also Read: BCCI releases media tender for India's Bilateral series 2023-27

Kicking off the media rights broadcast cycle, India will face Australia in eight matches, including three ODIs in September and five T20Is in November of the current year. Notably, the three ODIs will be held just before the commencement of the 2023 Men's ODI World Cup starting from October 5. Meanwhile, the five T20Is are scheduled after the conclusion of the mega event on November 19.

The report further indicates that Australia's visit to India in January to March 2027 will comprise five Tests, along with three ODIs and five T20Is in November to December of the same year. Simultaneously, England is set to tour India for five Tests from January 25 to March 11, with matches being held at Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamshala.

In the following year, England will return to India for eight white-ball matches, involving three ODIs and five T20Is in January and February 2025. The broadcast cycle will conclude with England playing five Tests in India from January to March 2028.

Also Read: Ind vs Pak match to be played on October 14 - report

"A significant portion of the games against Australia and England is a positive aspect, and their distribution throughout the cycle is well-managed. However, the challenge arises with the timing of the eight Australia games, which are positioned just before or immediately after the World Cup."

"Monetizing these matches might prove challenging, as corporates typically allocate funds for the World Cup or might have already exhausted their budgets. That's the tricky part," a broadcaster involved in the bidding process was quoted as saying in the report.

Sri Lanka will be playing only one series in India in December 2026, consisting of three ODIs and an equal number of T20Is, with no Tests. Afghanistan are slated to play one Test and three ODIs in June 2026, apart from playing three T20Is in India on January 11, 14, and 17 in Mohali, Indore, and Bengaluru.

The report added that South Africa will play two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is in India November and December 2025. New Zealand will come to India to play three Tests and eight white ball matches in the latter half of 2024 and early 2026, respectively.

"This is a robust offering, with 60 out of the 88 games featuring competition against top-tier teams. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not aiming for excessively high value. The relatively modest base prices (Rs 20 crore for India TV and Rs 25 crore for digital and global packages) provide the rationale for this," an industry insider was quoted as saying in the report.