As the sun dipped below the London skyline and bad light stopped play on Day 4 at The Oval, few would have predicted the drama that would unfold the next day. But when India’s fielders streamed off the pitch after sealing a stunning six-run win over England in the fifth and final Test, it was not just the end of a match. That was the dawn of a new era in Indian cricket under Shubman Gill.
The 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy may have ended in a 2-2 stalemate. Yet, for India, it felt like a hard-fought triumph. Shubman Gill’s debut series as Test captain finished on a high, with his young team rallying against all odds in a contest that swayed like a pendulum.
England, chasing a steep 374, came out swinging in classic ‘Bazball’ fashion. Harry Brook played like a man possessed, carving a counterattacking century. This made the English crowd dreaming of a historic chase. Joe Root, ever the anchor, matched him stroke for stroke. At 301/3, India seemed dead and buried. But Test cricket, as it often does, threw up one final twist.
Nightwatchman Akash Deep, who had earlier partnered Yashasvi Jaiswal in a gritty second-innings stand, delivered the breakthrough — Brook’s prized scalp. That sparked a collapse. Under fading skies, the pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna wrapped up the English tail with ice in their veins. India had pulled off the unthinkable.
The resilience of this team, stitched together with threads of youth and experience, was the highlight. Jaiswal’s century, Jadeja’s doggedness, Sundar’s fireworks, and the relentless fire of India’s fast bowlers created a perfect storm that England couldn't weather.
As the dust settles on this epic Test series, India now turns its gaze to a jam-packed international calendar stretching all the way to 2027. This schedule reflects both the demands and ambitions of one of world cricket’s powerhouses.
India’s next stop will be the T20 Asia Cup in Dubai this September, a tournament expected to serve as preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup cycle. The originally planned tour to Bangladesh has been postponed by mutual agreement, giving players a much-needed breather after the intense English summer.
October marks the return of the red-ball grind, with a two-Test home series against the West Indies. That will be followed by a white-ball tour to Australia — five T20Is and three ODIs — setting the tone for what promises to be an intense year-end clash against South Africa at home, featuring two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is.
The new year kicks off with a full-fledged series against New Zealand before India welcome Afghanistan for a historic one-off Test in June 2026. Then comes a high-octane bilateral series against England in July. It will be followed by a Test tour to Sri Lanka in August — their only red-ball overseas assignment before 2027.
From September to December 2026, India will crisscross the cricketing globe — Afghanistan, West Indies, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka — before the marquee event. That is, Australia’s tour of India in early 2027, which is set to include high-profile Test matches.
Despite the loaded white-ball calendar, India’s red-ball commitments remain selective, with just nine Tests lined up from now until February 2027. But for a team in transition, that might be a blessing in disguise. It gives Shubman Gill’s men time to rebuild, experiment, and settle into their roles.
The Oval heroics were more than just a win; they were a statement. A message that India, no matter the conditions or odds, still bleeds red-ball excellence. As the Future Tours Programme rolls on, this generation, led by a young, composed Gill, looks set to chart a new course. One match, one series, one era at a time.
Here’s the series-wise schedule of India’s Future Tour Programs (FTP) till 2027:
2025
- September 9–28: T20 Asia Cup
- Location: Dubai
- Format: Multiple T20Is (schedule to be announced)
- Location: Dubai
- October 2–14: West Indies tour of India
- Format: 2 Test matches
- Format: 2 Test matches
- October 19 – November 8: India tour of Australia
- Format: 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is
- Format: 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is
- November 14 – December 19: South Africa tour of India
- Format: 2 Test matches, 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is
- Format: 2 Test matches, 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is
2026
- January: New Zealand tour of India
- Format: 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is
- Format: 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is
- June: Afghanistan tour of India
- Format: 1 Test match, 3 ODIs
- Format: 1 Test match, 3 ODIs
- July: England tour of India
- Format: 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is
- Format: 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is
- August: India tour of Sri Lanka
- Format: 2 Test matches
- Format: 2 Test matches
- September: India tour of Afghanistan
- Format: 3 T20Is
- Format: 3 T20Is
- September–October: West Indies tour of India
- Format: 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is
- Format: 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is
- October–November: India tour of New Zealand
- Format: 2 Test matches, 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is
- Format: 2 Test matches, 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is
- December: Sri Lanka tour of India
- Format: 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is
- Format: 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is
2027
- January–February: Australia tour of India
- Format: Test series (number of matches not yet confirmed)