It has been quite a year for team India. There have been lots of ups and downs regarding the performance of the team. Many issues of concern both on field and off field have come up.
It all started with India’s test series and ODI series defeat in South Africa early this year. It was followed by the controversy regarding Virat Kohli’s stepping down from test captaincy.
Both Virat and the BCCI had contrasting views regarding this which dented the relations between both parties to an extent. Since then, this year saw the shuffling of multiple captains between different series and formats owing to injuries and other concerns.
India’s long-lasting drought in winning an ICC trophy continued this year as well. Despite winning multiple bilateral series across the world and at home, India was unable deliver such match-winning performances and teamwork in ICC events.
The major highlight to this was the fashion in which the team was knocked out in the semi-final of ICC Men’s t20 World Cup in Australia. India faced a humiliating 10 wicket defeat against champions England in the semis which raised a lot of questions on the team’s approach and management.
Major changes heading into 2023
Since then, the team management has taken some tough calls entering the new year. One of which is building a new and fresh team especially in T20s with specialists. That is why senior members like KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been released from the T20 squad that will take on Sri Lanka at home.
With Hardik Pandya named as the captain of the T20 squad against Sri Lanka, it opens up the possibility of split captaincy across formats. There are also ongoing talks about having a specialist coach in place of Rahul Dravid for the T20s which will soon be clarified after the Sri Lanka series.
India also faced their second series defeat in ODIs against Bangladesh last month. However, India ended the year on high with a 2-0 series victory against Bangladesh which upgraded them to the second spot of the ICC World Test Championship and took them one spot closer to playing that WTC final this year.
With the team going through a transition period and with the ICC WTC final and the ICC Cricket World Cup at home, team India will be looking to form a steady team and end their decade long drought of not winning an ICC event. India is all set to play more than 35 ODIs in a year for the first time in 16 years.
Schedule of India’s upcoming matches in the year 2023.
January 2023: India vs Sri Lanka (Home)
- 1st T20I (Jan 3) – Mumbai
- 2nd T20I (Jan 5) – Pune
- 3rd T20I (Jan 7) – Rajkot
- 1st ODI (Jan 10) – Guwahati
- 2nd ODI (Jan 12) – Kolkata
- 3rd ODI (Jan 15) – Thiruvananthapuram
January/February 2023: India v New Zealand (Home)
- 1st ODI (Hyderabad) – Jan 18
- 2nd ODI (Raipur) – Jan 21
- 3rd ODI (Indore) – Jan 24
- 1st T20I (Ranchi) – Jan 27
- 2nd T20I (Lucknow) – Jan 29
- 3rd T20I (Ahmedabad) – Feb 1
February/March 2023: India v Australia (Home)
- 1st Test (Nagpur) – Feb 9-13
- 2nd Test (Delhi) – Feb 17-21
- 3rd Test (Dharmshala) – Mar 1-5
- 4th Test (Ahmedabad) – March 9-13
- 1st ODI (Mumbai) – March 17
- 2nd ODI (Vishakhapatnam) – March 19
- 3rd ODI (Chennai) – March 22
March-May 2023: Indian Premier League
he detailed schedule of the 2023 edition of the T20 league is yet to be announced.
June 2023: World Test Championship Final
By the time of writing this story, India are second in the World Test Championship and are primed to qualify for the final, where their most likely opponents would be Australia who are 1st in the table.
July/August 2023: West Indies vs India (Away)
The series will feature two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. The schedule is yet to be announced.
September 2023: Asia Cup 2023 (Away)
Pakistan are scheduled to host the continental tournament but disagreements between the BCCI and PCB may lead to a change of hosts.
October 2023: India vs Australia (Home)
Australia will take part in a three-match ODI series to prepare for the World Cup in India.
October/November 2023: ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup
For the first time, India will be the sole host of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2023. India will be aiming to add a third title, having already won the 1983 and 2011 editions of the tournament.
November/ December 2023: Australia v India (Away)
Australia will travel to India for the third time in the year to play five T20Is.
December 2023: India v South Africa (Away)
Team India will end the year with a full-fledged tour to South Africa.
